Devil Hunter Yohko Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Checkmate
by Japan Boy
Summary: Taking place between 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' seasons 1 & 2: after defeating the Master Vampire in Sunnydale, California, Buffy Summers gets sent to Tokyo, Japan & meets up with Yohko Mano. Learning about each other's heritage, the girls join forces to defeat the remnants of an ancient race...one many times older than humanity itself. Kindly review if read.


For actresses Kristy Swanson & Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose portrayal of Buffy Summers in both movies & television

helped her join the ranks of strong female characters such as Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley in the 'Alien' franchise

& Lynda Carter's 'Wonder Woman' from the television series of the same name (Kristy Swanson played Buffy in the

1992 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie, & Sarah Michelle Gellar played her in the TV series from 1997 to 2003).

For writer/director Joss Whedon, the creator of both 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' & its spinoff series 'Angel' & their

entire cast/crew (Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz,

James Marsters, etc.), for giving us two successful television franchises that still continues to win new fans each year.

For Dark Horse Comics & BOOM! Studios, who have made the most enjoyable comics of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

& 'Angel' throughout the years, extending both beloved universes beyond the television screen & on the comics pages.

To the loving memory of actor Luke Perry, who played Oliver Pike in the 1992 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie

(Luke Perry passed away on March 4th, 2019 from complications of ischemic strokes. He was just 52 years of age).

**DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO / BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER:**

**CHECKMATE**

2005, 2019 by Anthony Ogozalek

**Reader's note:**

(This story takes place between seasons 1 & 2 of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer')

**CHAPTER I**

_Late Spring/Early Summer 1997, Sunnydale, California, evening:_

The Master Vampire – dressed in a pitch black leather outfit that covers his entire body, leaving only his clawed hands & bald head exposed – walks onto the roof of Sunnydale High School, just above the school library.

"My world. Ooh, my beautiful world", he says joyfully, soaking in & savoring every bit of his newfound freedom like a former inmate at Alcatraz Prison. The Master takes in at all the changes the world has made in his absence over the long years he's been trapped below – very different from the one he once knew.

He felt like a kid in a candy store, unsure on where to start.

But being an everlasting figure of immortality, he'll have _plenty _of time to learn all the new world's customs he stepped into beyond what his minions – Luke & Darla, among them – have told him of.

Walking over to the school's glass skylight, the Master can see his vampire army storming the perimeter of the school library as those who were trapped inside – school librarian Rupert Giles, computer teacher Jennifer Calendar, & students Willow Rosenberg & Cordelia Chase – barricade all of the doors & windows with whatever objects they could get their hands on that will make an effective blockade to keep their undead enemies from entering & making meals out of them all.

But the vampires weren't their _only _problem: from the floor of the room erupts a dark-fleshed creature, spawning a trio of snakelike heads, each one sporting no eyes & mouths full of sharp teeth, long tentacles (one of which grabbed hold of Willow for a brief time) & a high-pitched roar that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

It was a sound that gave chills to the hearts & souls of anyone within earshot.

"The Hellmouth", Giles gasps, grabbing the nearest weapon he can get his hands on – a small but formidable axe – and attacks the hellish beast with all his might, doing some damage upon it & hoping to stop the creature before it gets more loose upon the world or even decides to devour him & the rest as appetizers before going to the main course.

The entire world itself.

"Yes, come forth, my child", the Master says, urging the Hellmouth creature to continue rising up out of the same prison he endured/shared with it. "Come into my world."

"I don't think it's yours just yet."

The voice – young & female – made the Master divert his attention from the skylight over to its source. What he sees is a sight which both his eyes & mind refuses to accept: a 16-year-old girl with blonde hair, attired in a white party dress & shoes with a black leather jacket over it, stands several feet away from him, looking for a fight with the Vampire King himself.

If this were any other girl (or any other _human_, for that matter), the Master would attack & kill that person without a moment's hesitation before he/she could even scream – _if _they were lucky.

But this girl before him _isn't _just 'any other girl', which is why the Master stood dumbfounded & flabbergasted, reluctant to do anything at first.

The girl is none other than his arch-nemesis Buffy Anne Summers – the Vampire Slayer – both alive & kicking.

"You're dead", he finally manages to get out.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty", says Buffy. "Which is more than I can say for you."

"You were destined to die. It was written."

"What can I say? I flunked the written."

The Master's heard more than enough foolishness from his arch-rival. Seeing the Slayer alive has only urged the Vampire King to simply dispose of her once more.

"Come here", he says, extending his left arm & opening his palm in order to lure Buffy towards him by using his powers of hypnosis exactly as he did in his underground lair right before he allegedly 'killed' her there. As Buffy gets within his reach, the Master grabs her with his left hand between her neck & shoulder.

His abhorrence of her knows no bounds.

"Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn't below?", he asked with vehemence.

Buffy simply stood & stared at him for several moments.

"You have fruit punch mouth", she says.

"What?", the Master says, confused.

Before the Vampire King could even begin to comprehend what his female foe just said, Buffy gives the Master a powerful right hook to his mouth, releasing her from his grip. The Master's mouth/lips were reddened from his very own blood, indicating a 'fruit punch mouth' as Buffy mentioned & making it come true.

"And save the hypnosis crap for the tourists", she concluded.

Buffy's battle with the Master commenced!

_Inside the school library:_

The battle between humans vs. vampires & monster from Hell was reaching critical mass: no matter how many of the undead they turn to dust, about two more or such take the place of each one slain. Even with the timely arrival & assistance of student Xander Harris & the vampire-with-a-soul Angel (both of whom went underground to assist Buffy & even resurrected her after she seemingly perished by the Master's hands), the odds were _not _looking very good for the home team.

Until – or rather _unless _– a miracle happened to get dropped on their laps, the entire world will all but become the Master's personal playground for him & all his minions to do with as he pleases.

Their time was running out.

_On the rooftop:_

Buffy & the Master exchange punches & kicks at each other, with neither Vampire King nor Slayer gaining the upper hand as each combatant was too equally matched in stamina, agility & strength.

Exactly as with her friends below in the school library, Buffy's time was running short to prevent the Hellmouth's ascension into the world, thus taking it over.

She needs to stop him _now _– by whatever means necessary.

Buffy jumps in the air, avoiding another swing from the Master, flipping over the Vampire King & lands on her feet, doing so between him & the glass skylight. She does a 180 degree turn, ready to further spar with her undead foe, but the Master beats her to the punch & grabs her by the neck & gave a stare of pure hatred. He was pissed at himself for not making sure of the Slayer's demise in his lair when he bit down on her neck & left her for dead to come to the surface.

It's an error he won't be repeating, especially now that he's achieved his newfound freedom & has his enemy right where he wants her – at his mercy.

"Where are your jibes now?", he snarls at her. "Will you laugh when my Hell is on Earth?"

"You're that amped about Hell?", Buffy asked. "Go there."

Before the Master could finish off Buffy, the Slayer grabs his arm with both hands & flips him over her, smashing him into & through the roof's skylight back-first, shattering & showering pieces of broken glass & wooden frame onto the ground below. The Master falls to earth as he faces the nighttime sky just before he is impaled through the back by a broken piece of the room's wooden table, which was smashed when the Hellmouth creature emerged from the floor. Once the Master gets staked through the heart, he lets out a howl of anguish as his undead flesh literally disintegrates, exposing his bones from beneath. As the Vampire King dies, the Hellmouth monster begins to withdraw & retreat into the hole it made from the library's floor. Because the creature shares a mystical connection with the Master, it becomes severed when its 'parent' dies; its fading aura no longer enables it to remain topside, thereby forcing it to seek refuge from whence it came, its final fate uncertain to all.

What _was _certain is this: the group of monster-killers needed a miracle to come out of the sky, & they received one – quite literally.

_Shortly after:_

Once Buffy witnesses the Master's demise & the withdrawing of the three-headed Hellmouth creature from the now-broken skylight on the roof, the rejuvenated Vampire Slayer reaches ground level via the stairs & enters the library through its main doors, rejoining Giles & the others. Buffy walks over to where the Master's skeleton now lays, never taking her eyes off of it & ignores everything else around her.

The destruction, her companions…everything.

"The vampires?", Giles asks, breaking the long silence.

"Gone", Cordelia responds.

"The Master?", Angel asks.

"Dead. The Hellmouth is closed", Giles replied. "Buffy?"

When she doesn't answer him after a couple of seconds, Giles called her name again.

"Buffy?"

"Oh, sorry", she says, his second calling of her name bringing Buffy back to attention. "It's just…been a really weird day."

"Yeah. Buffy died & everything", Xander says matter-of-factly.

"Wow. Harsh", adds Willow.

"I should have known that wouldn't stop you", Giles said, being only half-sarcastic but it still doesn't stop Buffy from giving him a little smile from her lips.

"Well, what do we do now?", Miss Calendar wonders.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to get out of this place", Giles says. "I don't like the library very much anymore."

"Hey, I hear there's a dance at the Bronze tonight. Could be fun", Xander says, trying to lift everyone's spirits.

"Yeah", Cordelia agrees.

"Buffy?", Willow asks, wondering.

"Sure", she says. "We saved the world. I say we party. I mean, I got all pretty."

"What about him?", Miss Calendar insists, indicating the bones that was once the Master Vampire as everyone stares at the impaled skeleton.

"He's not going anywhere", Buffy firmly replies. "Loser."

"I'm not dancing, though", Giles insisted as he & everyone began making their way towards the room's double doors.

"We'll see. You can come with us, though", Miss Calendar jokes.

The group begins to joke & frolic with each other, making their way out. Buffy & Angel take up the rear, being several steps behind the rest as they walk side-by-side, having a moment to themselves.

"By the way, I really like your dress", Angel notes.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a big hit with everyone", Buffy says, having been told the same thing for the third time by her vampire partner after Willow & the Master himself, the latter of whom she heard barely before expiring briefly.

Yes, it _has _been a rather weird day for everyone, Buffy most of all. But albeit the eerie, bizarre & even frightening ordeal they've all faced together, it turned out to be a happy ending: the good guys (& girls) all survived, the bad guys & main boss were defeated, & best of all, everyone gets to go out & party to celebrate their victory.

Because of Vampire Slayer Buffy Anne Summers & her friends, the world is safe.

For now.

**CHAPTER II**

_Tsukuba Kokusai Country Club, Tokyo, Japan, one month later, 9:00 p.m.:_

A slight breeze blew through the air in the nation's capital city which did help to bring down the heat & humidity a few notches, though not by very much. Anyone walking, riding bikes or driving their vehicles with their roofs and/or windows down felt the sweltering heat as they traveled every which way to get to their destinations, the temperature at a high point even in the evening hours after the sun's gone down.

Fortunately, even for a bustling city like Tokyo, not many people were out on _this _particular Friday night despite it being one of the busiest nights of the week for evening activities. Those that _were _out in the sultry heat paid it little to no mind whatsoever as they enjoy the night's plentiful activities, ranging from gentlemen's clubs to the local arcades. For everyone else, they get to enjoy the night at home with family & friends, relaxing in comfortable air conditioning splendor as they allow their bodies to remain cool & protected from the sweltering summer heat.

With this particular luxury, most people don't even have to be torturing themselves in the humid temperatures.

_Some _people, however, don't have much of a choice.

Devil Hunters Yohko Mano & Azusa Kanzaki are two of these people.

From within the trees of this country club – located south of Mount Nantai & Tsukuba – Yohko & Azusa were locked in combat with a creature that has caused the deaths of numerous unsuspecting travelers in the immediate vicinity which has been closed for several days to the public to ensure everyone's safety. The two girls were both attired in their 'working clothes', consisting of red ceremonial robes of sorts which were sleeveless & bare little around the pelvic area in order to give the girls freedom of their legs for agility & speed. Armed with a sword & Spear of Fuma, the girls face a creature that was the size of two large pickup trucks, with a flat but rotund body & hard shell covering its back like a turtle's but sporting sharp spikes protruding from the sides. Five pairs of pointed limbs make for its legs, with one of them ending in giant crablike claws, located at the front where its mandibles of sharp teeth & multifaceted eyes resided at. Its rear sported a pair of curved segmented tails that each have comma-shaped points at the ends.

One way of describing this creature would be as a giant crab with twin scorpion tails attached.

Yohko & Azusa had no doubt that those tails both had the ability to inject a deadly poison from each one.

Like all crabs, it was a carnivorous beast, hence the sharp teeth.

It has been several days since its last meal, & was getting berserk with hunger & desperate for nourishment.

And on _this _particular evening, Yohko & Azusa are the only prey it sees.

But unlike all of the other times where getting a meal was just a quick snap away, this crab-scorpion hybrid will have to _fight _for its meal. And fight _hard_.

Yohko called out to Azusa to dive as she sees the creature raising its twin tails in preparation for another strike.

With a mighty leap, both young ladies dove off in separate directions just as the two tails struck the spot they were at only seconds ago, hitting only grass & dirt & kicking up a plume of it. Unfortunately for the creature, those two plumes of grass & dirt flew up into its face, blinding it temporarily.

It gave the girls their first lucky break on the night.

"_Now, Azusa – hit it while it's blind!_", Yohko shouted, seeing the monster flail wildly from having its own vision impaired.

"Gotcha!", Azusa cried back, throwing her spear directly at the monster's face & hoping to hit it either in one of its eyes or even into the brain.

Mentally saying a prayer, Azusa's spear _does _strike the creature like she hoped. The only problem with that is, her weapon _didn't _penetrate it in the eyes _or _brain: it pierced the monster's cheek on the right with a sickening crunch, drawing yellow fluid from the wound. The pain Azusa's weapon caused made the beast even more frantic, & combined with its uncontrollable desire to feast, the creature goes into a blind rage & begins swiping at the two Devil Hunters with its twin tails & giant claws, knocking down several trees in the process.

"Holy _shit!_", Yohko snaps, barely dodging a falling tree & avoiding getting crushed under it.

She follows it up by staying clear of the claws that snapped at her & Azusa constantly, avoiding being literally cut in half. Azusa has the same difficulties, but still stayed ahead of getting crushed by trees, dodging a poison stab _and _being skewered in half.

Due to the pain it suffered from both ladies, the giant crab creature made the Devil Hunters its primary targets, & it won't stop until it catches & devours each one in its mouth & stomach.

It was a feeling Yohko & Azusa sensed within it, & it made them more than a little nervous.

_Oh, _fuck _me!_, was all that Yohko could think of.

Narrowly avoiding being snatched up by one of the beast's claws, the Devil Hunters retreat deep into the woods, but it does no good: the crab beast stayed hot on their heels, going wherever they go & knocking away trees & whatever else impeded its path. Yohko tries to get a bead on the creature's face just long enough to throw her sword & finish the job Azusa started, but the beast was moving too fast for her to do so, in spite of its size.

Unless she does something, facing this creature will be Yohko's epitaph, & she knows it.

Even Azusa can feel it in her bones, & she needs to think of something – fast.

_Come on, Azusa, _think_!_, she thought as she ran through the forest with Yohko as she tries formulating some kind of plan as quickly as possible. _Nothing we've done so far has stopped its rampage! How can we fight & defeat something which is half crab & the other half a…scorpion?_

Scorpion. That one word gets toggled in Azusa's mind as she calls upon her knowledge of the spider's natural enemy during her biology classes in school. She suddenly remembers a little-known fact about them & her face lit up.

_Yes, that's it!_, she thought in delight, her plan forming in seconds. _Why didn't I _think _of that before?!_

Anxious to set her plan in motion, Azusa quickly leaped up onto a tree branch as the creature ignored her for the moment & resumed chasing Yohko.

From her vantage point, Azusa called out to Yohko & prayed she can hear her.

"Miss Yohko, if you can hear me, I need for you to keep the monster distracted for just a few minutes! I have a plan to get it both trapped & defeated!"

Luckily for Azusa, Yohko _did _hear her young partner despite the chaos going on around her.

_Oh great, Azusa…leave _me _to do all the _difficult _work!_, Yohko thought as she dodged another tails/claws attack.

Her terrified screams left little doubt as to how much Yohko enjoyed being used as bait.

Azusa had no time to worry whether or not Yohko actually heard her: getting herself over to a clear patch of land, she took a small brown pouch out of her pocket, opened it up & began sprinkling its contents – a semi-bright powder – onto the ground, going in a circular pattern. When she gets the circle three-quarters complete, Azusa feels the ground rumbling at her feet, which got more intense with each second, indicating that she better hurry.

_Just a few more moments, Miss Yohko!_, Azusa thought, stepping up on her task.

Several yards behind her, Yohko races down the path of demolished trees caused by the crab beast as she double-backed & went back the way they came, with the creature still in hot pursuit. As Yohko caught Azusa in her sights even at a distance, her young apprentice completes forming her circle with her powder.

That's when Azusa spotted Yohko coming her way.

"Miss Yohko!", she cried.

"Azusa!", Yohko yelled. "I just _barely _caught your message before! Whatever this plan of yours is, now would be a good time to _implement _it: I've got about a ton or so of _hell _on my ass, & it's closing in _fast!_"

"Just get it here in my circle, Miss Yohko! I'll take care of the rest!", Azusa instructs.

"_Sure, no problem!_", Yohko replied sarcastically, having no trouble getting the beast to go where she does.

Yohko finally makes it to & steps inside the circle Azusa made & runs directly across it to the other side to where her friend & apprentice stands without slowing down. Turning to face the crustacean nightmare, the monster approaches & enters the circle's circumference, keeping up its rapid pace. Once its entire self is within the circle's boundaries, the young blue-haired Devil Hunter extends her right arm forward while speaking an enchanted word. From all around the circle's rim, a wall of blue flames measuring nearly twenty feet high erupts where Azusa placed her powder, keeping the crab creature good & trapped within the ring of fire. Immediately the creature felt the intense flames, & no matter what it tried, it couldn't escape its barriers even after several attempts to brave the flames & put itself through them, only to receive a severe burn wherever the flames touched.

Yohko readies her sword & prepares to impale the monster in the name of her duty as a Devil Hunter & also in revenge for making it look foolish & hurting her pride.

"Hold on, Miss Yohko. Just wait for it", Azusa says, halting her friend's urge to kill the thing.

A reassuring smile from the blue-haired girl gave Yohko all the reason to follow her lead.

Screeching in agony, the crab creature searched desperately to find a way out of its predicament of a fiery death trap. Not finding any, the monster raised its twin scorpion tails high in the air, holding them in that position for several moments as Yohko & Azusa went on the defensive, just in case.

Then the creature did something Yohko never expected it to do: in the blink of an eye, the crab creature drove its stingers down like a snake would in attacking its prey.

On _itself_.

As one, the beast drives both its tail stingers into its head where the brain should be. The blow smashed through the monster's tough exo-skeleton as if it were a mere egg shell, penetrating the brain with its stinger tips & injecting its poison into it & throughout the rest of its body. It emitted a dying howl of anguish as yellow ichor spews/squirts out of its head wound, the stab where Azusa's spear struck it, & even its mouth. Moments later, the creature collapses to the ground with a vibrating thump, its legs & claws slumping.

Waiting another several moments, Azusa spoke another word of enchantment, causing the sapphire flames to all but dissipate as suddenly as they appeared without a trace – like the fires were never there to begin with.

Once the fires vanished from view, Yohko & Azusa were presented with the body of the half-crab, half-scorpion creature lying on the ground, its limbs spasming several times before all movement ceased totally. A few seconds later, the entire deceased crab creature began glowing an illuminous crimson & disappears as quickly as the sapphire flames did. Only Azusa's Spear of Fuma remained in the spot where the monster once was; now out of danger, Azusa goes to retrieve her weapon, leaving an astonished Yohko standing behind her.

"That was…pretty damn awesome, Azusa", Yohko says. "Just how exactly did you even know to _do _that – trap that monster in a ring of fire?"

Yohko's young apprentice picks up her weapon before explaining with a smile.

"Well, Miss Yohko, I heard somewhere once that if a scorpion should ever be surrounded by a ring of fire, it will eventually stab itself to death", she says. "And since that crab creature was _part _scorpion…"

A sudden memory stirred up within Yohko's mind, & she caught on.

"Whoa", she says. "I seem to _remember _hearing about that theory at one time or another myself, Azusa. I just wasn't sure if it was actually _true _or not."

"Looks like I've just made that little theory a bonafide _fact _this evening, Miss Yohko", Azusa says, smiling. "And besides…_another _way we probably could've beaten that crab-scorpion hybrid was simply to pour _alcohol _onto it, but since we didn't come equipped with several barrels of wine, beer or even _rubbing _alcohol, the Ring of Fire method was the best way to go."

"And _what _a way to go", Yohko says, stifling a yawn. "Doing in a hybrid creature with a ring of fire that would surely make Johnny Cash pretty proud. Good thing, too: _this _ordeal's left me all but exhausted, & I for one could _use _a good night's rest."

"So…it's mission accomplished as usual, Miss Yohko."

"Completely. Now what's say we try & get a ride back home?"

"Roger wilco. Oh, let us not forget, Miss Yohko: we need to get up early for that planned trip tomorrow with our school."

Azusa's reminder was like having a bomb dropped on Yohko, & her face turned sour upon hearing it.

"You just _had _to bring that up, didn't you?", Yohko says in a slump.

"You don't seemed too thrilled about it. Why?", Azusa asked, worried.

"What's to be thrilled _about_, Azusa? It's the same thing every summer: during our hard-earned summer vacation, the teachers from our school plan a trip through Tokyo for a bunch of foreigners & show them the sights."

"Come on, Miss Yohko…it's not all _that _bad. And try to remember that it's _all _for a good cause: to raise money for charity & help those who can't afford proper medicine, clean water to drink or even food to eat. Do you have any idea how many families – including their children – starve & die each year in other countries, all because they don't get the basic requirements each & every day? _That's _one of the main problems in the world today, Moss Yohko: not enough people care about others, & as human beings, we should all take responsibility in helping out whenever we can, be it internationally or even right here in our own backyards. It's the whole reason as to _why _we have a 'Trip for Charity' event every year, Miss Yohko. Surely that's reason enough to contribute & participate in, yes?"

"Azusa, it's _not _that I _don't _think it's a worthy cause – I _do_, believe me. I just simply don't understand as to why we can't have the event _during _the school year, like in the early spring or something. Students work hard enough as it is, & their summer vacation is something they _really _need to help recharge their batteries & get them ready for the new year each September. Surely _that _can't be too much to ask?"

"Unfortunately, Miss Yohko, famine & sickness doesn't _take _holidays, let alone know the times of the year. But from what _I've _been hearing, Mr. Sano – who helps to _arrange _the trip every year with our school – says that _this _year's trip is going to be _quite _different from those in the past."

"Different, huh? I'll _believe _it when I _see _it, Azusa. Now let's get home: there's a nice, soft, comfortable bed with my name on it that's waiting for me to plop down in."

Azusa said nothing more but allowed herself a smile as she & Yohko started making their way out of the country club & back into the city to get home either by catching a ride or simply walking towards their destination. Ever since Yohko's grandmother Madoka told her that she is the 108th generation of a family of professional Devil Hunters, Yohko has toggled between her sword duty & being normal like everyone else, even waiting for that special someone of whom she one day hopes to say 'I do' & live a happy life like her mother Sayako did; _she _more or less _avoided _being the 108th Devil Hunter by falling in love & having Yohko, something her grandmother wasn't all too happy about.

Sadly for Yohko, her Devil Hunter duties prevented a happy life so far, & there seemed to be no end in sight for the near future. Lately, it's been one demon or some other apparition after another: her school's one-time principal who was actually a demon that wanted to stop Yohko _before _she got the chance to become a Devil Hunter; sleeping spirits whose slumber gets disturbed by construction workers in Manotama Forest; an otherworldly prince who desperately needed Yohko's help to rescue his lady love from his father because he forbade his son to fall in love; Tokima, a demon capable of controlling the space-time continuum itself & even succeeded in _killing _Yohko until she was revived by the first Devil Hunter Haruka when she was sent to the past by the creature; getting confronted by Ayako, a girl who looks identical to Yohko & shares her last name, along with an apprentice of her own, Azusa #2, who challenged her in order to claim the title of the true Devil Hunter – a contest that was interrupted by a demon that was awakened during their duel until they put aside their differences to face & defeat it together.

And just tonight, they faced off against a hybrid monster with crab & scorpion attributes that they've just banished into whatever hell it came from.

What Yohko wouldn't do just to have a normal life, or even for someone – _anyone _– who can understand all the hardships she's been going through with her life & how utterly difficult it really is.

Other than Chigako 'Chi' Ogawa & Azusa Kanzaki, of course.

Oh, the life of a Devil Hunter.

For the entire trip home, Yohko Mano didn't utter a single word.

**CHAPTER III**

_Sunnydale, California:_

Buffy was feeling quite euphoric & giddy like she has never been before. Even though her parents Joyce & Hank divorced on account of her juvenile delinquency from her old hometown of Hemery, L.A. (at least _she _believes that was the reason for it), she couldn't be happier even if the Sandman would arrive & whisk her away to Dreamland. For one thing, she wouldn't have to tolerate, let alone look at, Sunnydale High School's new fuehrer (as Rupert Giles describes him) of a principal Mr. Snyder, which is no doubt _all _the students' pride & joy, for two whole months. Another piece of bliss for her to enjoy is the numerous shopping sprees which were sure to keep her well occupied until the new school season. Sure, it may drive her parents to bankruptcy (or crazy, depending on one's view) once she's finished, but like the old saying goes, 'What are parents _for?_' – a phrase quite synonymous with kids of all ages.

The _best _part about it is, Buffy hasn't seen or slain a single solitary vampire since her horrendous battle with the Master Vampire that actually left her for dead temporarily until her friends Xander Harris & Angel came to her rescue in the Master's domain. Still, Buffy kept her senses ever on high alert & ready to spring into action just in case any of the undead thinks of showing their ugly faces anytime soon. Luckily for her, the summer at night has been vampire-free for the most part, & should it remain that way (until summer's end, at least), Buffy has neither qualms or complaints.

Just the way she'd want it.

In the kitchen of her home, Buffy prepares herself a double-decker sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickle & mustard on three slices of white bread, with juice on the side & an olive on a toothpick on the top for good measure. Buffy prepares her midday meal while listening to Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 1956 classic 'I Put A Spell On You' on her local radio station, moving her head in conjunction to the music as if she were in a trance with the tune.

I put a spell on you…because you're mine

Stop the things you do (evil wicked laughter)

Watch out! I ain't lying!

Yeah, I can't stand…wooo! No running around

I can't stand…a no putting me down

I put a spell on you…because you're mine

Oh yeah! Ugh!

By the time the song got to its saxophone solo in the middle, Buffy was taken out of her 'trance' that the song had seemingly put her in by the sound of her mother's voice.

"Well…I guess _now _you know _why _he was called _Screamin' _Jay Hawkins", Joyce says, standing at the kitchen's entrance in her summer attire with her arms crossed & trademark smile. "Getting an early jump on Halloween, are we? It isn't for three months yet, you know."

Joyce lets out a little laugh at her small joke.

"Mom! No, not exactly, I, um…", Buffy started saying as she dumbfoundedly tried to think of a plausible excuse. "Just decided to hear some tunes while making some lunch, & _this _song just _happens _to be playing on the air, that's all. I mean, I don't actually, you know, _work _for the radio station…I simply _listen _to them, because…that's what I do. I'm a pretty _good _listener…when I _want _to be."

Buffy's mother lets out another laugh, this time more intense as if she's being tickled.

"Don't sweat it, Buffy", she says. "Hearing songs associated with Halloween during summertime is no different from, shall we say, hearing Gene Autry's 'Frosty the Snowman' at this time of year. And you want to know something funny? _Some _radio stations actually _do _play that in the summer, especially when it gets _really _hot outside in an attempt to get people's minds off the heat as best they can."

"Well…_that's _certainly a 'cool' idea", Buffy says.

"Ain't _that _the truth, kiddo!", said a male voice.

A man attired in shorts & short-sleeve blue shirt with brown hair appeared in view from behind Joyce & stood right alongside her, waving a fan in his left hand to cool the sweat from his face.

"What I wouldn't do to hear the singing cowboy sing that particular tune right about now", he said with a grin.

Buffy couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who it was: to her, it felt like she had awoke from a nightmare that wasn't ever going to end. What she's seeing right now is something she always wished would happen, & today it came true.

The man is her father Hank Summers, & he seems ready to get back together with her mother. For good.

She just wanted to make sure that what she's seeing _is _the real deal.

Finally able to move, Buffy ran to her father & attacked him with a huge bear hug, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Hey, how's my baby girl?", Hank says, pulling his daughter away to look her in the eye. "Did you miss me?"

"And how", Buffy said, wiping her tears away & giving her father space. "I'm not going to lie, dad: it's been oh so lonely without having you in our lives, what with the divorce & all. I can't help but to think that it was all _my _fault for it, what with me burning down…"

"Whoa there, Buffy", Hank interrupted. "Let me explain before you do the blame game: during the time I spent all alone after the divorce was finalized, it got me thinking. A lot. Like you, I _missed_ what we had during our life back in Los Angeles – _before _it all went crazy that lead to our separation. Please don't think that it was you or your not-so-great school record that made your mother & I split. It was _me_: I've been a _fool _before, not realizing what it was I had until it was all gone. So, just last week, I had a good, long talk with your mother here, & same with Joyce, I believe we can give us another shot & make it _all _work out."

"You mean…?", Buffy asks, her face lighting up with hope.

"That's right, sweetheart…I want us to start over. Here. In Sunnydale. It's as good a place as any to make a fresh new beginning. Bottom line, kiddo, I want the three of us to be what we were before: a happy family. After all…you've taken away mine."

"Dad, I am _so _sorry for making a mess of things, & I _promise _you: the grief I caused you & mom before will _not _get repeated, & I _know _that we can all…"

Buffy stopped herself from speaking any further, for Hank's last statement had her somewhat baffled.

"Dad?", she wondered. "What did you _mean _exactly by that remark, when you told me I took…"

The Slayer never got to finish asking her question: Hank closed the fan in his left hand & held it like it were a knife or dagger.

What's more, he _uses _it like one.

In a swift movement from his arm, Hank swung the fan in front of him & impales the object with all his might into Joyce's chest, precisely in the spot where her heart is. Joyce didn't have a chance to scream: as soon as she was hit, her mouth began gouging up a flow of blood that went down her chin & onto her shirt like some hideous waterfall.

Her chest wound did the same thing.

"_Dad! _What the _hell _do you think you're…", Buffy began to shout, approaching her father.

Hank removed his weapon from Joyce's chest, which was still spewing blood from her fatal wound. He buffeted his daughter in the face with a hard backhand with such strength that her back actually breaks the kitchen counter behind her just before falling to the floor. Stunned at what she just witnessed, Buffy was powerless to prevent what her now-homicidal father does next: taking the back of Joyce's head with his right hand, Hank jerks her head to the left, snapping the bones in her neck with a sickening sound, one that resembles a person splitting celery with his bare hands.

Joyce fell lifelessly onto the floor in a puddle of her own blood as Hank now draws his attention over to Buffy, who now shakily gets up from the floor, disbelieving what just transpired. What she _can _believe is one of two things: either Hank has actually snapped & is doing his imitation of Jack the Ripper for the new century, or this killer before her _isn't _her father, but an impostor of some kind.

Buffy couldn't decide which it is.

"Dad? How _could _you?", she says weakly, more so from fear than sadness.

At that moment, Hank grabs his face with both hands & starts to pull, doing so in opposite directions. With the sound of someone scything corn, Hank literally tears off the flesh from his face, followed by the rest of his body. What was once Hank Summers tosses away the mesh of clothing & skin just as a snake would after shedding.

Once Buffy saw who it really was that lies beneath the flesh of her father, she gasped in horror & stood wide-eyed at the figure before her.

It was the Master Vampire himself, all dressed in his black leather undead glory with a huge grin on his face.

He chuckled briefly before speaking.

"Oh, _I'm _sorry, dear child", the Master says in mock sympathy. "But I'm afraid dear old daddy couldn't _make _it this weekend. But on the _plus _side, Hank _did _kindly ask me to go in his place, _and _to give you a nice, warm welcome – to my _hell!_"

The Master laughed maniacally as he raises his hands to his face & extends his fingernails into razor-sharp points, each one the length of a pen. Newly-armed & deadly, he lets out a battle cry & lunges at the still-stunned Slayer, eager to slice her head off like a melon.

Buffy's head _would've _been sheared clean off her neck & shoulders had she not ducked down in time to avoid the Master's fatal surprise, missing her by just a fraction of an inch. Using her Slayer strength, Buffy grabs the Master by the chest & flips him over the counter as he hits the floor on his head, making him dazed & giving Buffy time to get herself out of the kitchen & head straight for her room where her weapons are.

She stops dead in her tracks when she reaches her living room to discover a ghastly, horrific sight: on the floor & furniture lays six people devoid of life, each one with their throats slit & a gaping hole in their chests where their hearts should be, looking as if someone punched through their rib cages & tore it out with ease.

What's more, the six people lying dead in her living room are those she knows from school: librarian & Buffy's Watcher Rupert Giles, computer teacher Jennifer Calendar, & even her schoolmates Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Cordelia Chase & Amy Madison. The mere sight of her friends & classmates dead in her own home made Buffy weak in the knees at the moment, her mind refusing to believe or accept that what she's seeing is really happening.

But it was.

"I only think it's fair…don't you?", the Master said behind Buffy, forcing her to turn & face him. She swung her right fist at his face, but the Master caught it & her other hand before holding her steady. "Because of _your _insufferable interference, _my _family is lost to me. So I took the liberty of balancing the scales & took away _yours _in retaliation. And now…you & I are even."

"Not exactly, Master", said a new voice that also sounded very familiar to Buffy.

When she turned to see the newcomer, Buffy was stunned to not only see _two _new arrivals in her home as they stepped into the living room, but she _knew _who they were: one was a male who looked to be large & very powerful, while the other was a female in a girl's school outfit, mini-skirt & all.

Both were vampires with fiendish grins & lips/teeth that were stained with blood, & they went by names.

"Luke? Darla?", Buffy says in a voice that she almost choked on.

"Surprised to see us, Slayer?", Luke asked.

"I saw you both get _dusted!_ How is it even _possible_ that you're here now?"

"You can thank the Master for that: he wanted _his_ family back, so he offered us _yours _as a sacrifice. And here we are again."

"Oh, by the way, Buffy", Darla adds. "Your family here? Each one of their blood was _delicious_…"

"_Especially _your _father's!_", Luke & Darla said in unison, letting out fiendish laughs.

The Master grins his widest & faces Buffy.

"And since my two most faithful minions have had _their _tasty fill…_I _still long to feast upon _more _of _your _blood, Miss Summers", the Master said, widening his mouth & lunging for Buffy's throat.

When she was caught by the Master, Buffy wanted nothing more than to kick the crap out of her undead enemy, but none of her limbs would respond. It was as if an invisible barrier was ceasing all her movements, demanding that she stay still. Only now could Buffy finally move again, delivering a powerful kick to the Master's midsection which knocked him backwards & gave her a chance to head upstairs. Reaching the top of the staircase, Buffy heads directly for her bedroom & closes the door, locking it up tight. From underneath her bed, Buffy pulls out a trunk & opens it up, revealing numerous weapons & other items for killing vampires – stakes, crossbows, holy water, & the like. Taking a wooden stake in one hand, Buffy presses herself against the door face first, breathing in quick, shallow breaths, trying frantically to make sense of it all.

"This can't really be happening!", Buffy says in a panicky voice, barely above a whisper. "This really _cannot _be _happening! _I killed them! For Christ's sake, I fucking _killed them!_"

Buffy worked on slowing her breathing & getting herself back to normal & ready to spring into action at the first sight of the Master and/or either of his two servants crashes through the door. She couldn't do that _unless _she keeps it & her wits together: whether or not their resurrection was possible or not, the Master & his two faithful companions Luke & Darla _are _still alive, & Buffy needs to be prepared.

She steeled herself as best she could.

_Get it together, girl!_, Buffy told herself. _Just deal with them as you would any _other _vampires! Besides, you staked each of them once, & you can do it again!_

Once she settled down & got her heartbeat to a normal level, Buffy slowly backed away from the door & turned around…

And was suddenly face-to-face with the Master again!

The head vampire grabs Buffy by the throat with lightning speed & lifts her a foot from the floor. Buffy raised her stake to deliver the killing blow, but the Master effortlessly slapped it out of her hand, leaving her defenseless.

Luke & Darla stood to Buffy's left, enjoying the Slayer's helpless predicament as evident by the toothy grins on their faces.

No matter what she tried, Buffy couldn't break free from the Master's vice-like grip.

"This isn't _real!_", Buffy cried. "You three are all _dead! _I _killed _you…I killed _all _of you!"

"Oh, _did _you now?", the Master snarled. "Permit me to ask you something, Slayer: just _how _in all the world can you expect to _ever _defeat me & my invincible minions when _we _are _forever_…"

The Master paused in his statement as his head undergoes a ghastly transformation that churns Buffy's stomach: then front of the Vampire King's face extends forward as the bones beneath his undead flesh reform, which now looks a lot more animal than human. When all is said & done, the Master's head was morphed in the form of a Velociraptor – the dinosaur made famous worldwide in 'Jurassic Park', complete with reptilian eyes & the standard vampire fangs at the front of his hideous maw, ready for biting.

Exactly what the Master plans on doing to Buffy.

"And _you _are just a _girl?!_", the Vampire King finishes as he opens his mandibles to literally put the bite upon the helpless Slayer. All Buffy can do is watch in terror as the dinosaurian mouth of her undead foe closes upon her neck, too scared to even let out a scream.

Only when the sharp teeth makes contact with & penetrates her flesh & draws warm blood does Buffy scream for all that she's worth.

_Hank Summers' apartment, Los Angeles, California:_

A second or two after Buffy felt the Master's teeth pierce her flesh, the helpless Slayer opened her eyes – and finds herself dozing face-down on the desk in her room, drool oozing from her mouth. Remembering where she is now, Buffy wipes it away with a Kleenex tissue & gets herself under control by taking in deep breaths & exhaling to get her heartbeat normal. She was relieved to find herself in the room her father fixed up for her in his apartment in Los Angeles, as Hank discussed/negotiated with Joyce some time ago. She checked the time on the clock on her desk as it read 2:00 in the afternoon, realizing she was asleep for most of the morning & missing most of the day, having napped & dozed off & not even having some breakfast. It wasn't really much _of _a day for her to miss: outside it was raining moderately, soaking the landscape & causing some flooding in spots.

Seeing the rain outside gives Buffy the idea of giving herself a shower – something she can _certainly _use after having such a horrific nightmare in the middle of a dreary day.

But _not _before grabbing some pizza-flavored Hot Pockets for a late lunch.

Grabbing a fresh pair of white underwear, tank top & towels after her speedy lunch, Buffy enters the bathroom & strips naked, turning the showerhead on.

For the next half-hour, Buffy sat down on the floor of her shower tub with her knees to her face & both her arms wrapped around her legs, allowing the warm water to trickle/drip all over her body as her mind drifts, recollecting the events before & after her move to Sunnydale: in Hemery after a day of school, a man with a British accent who's been named Merrick approaches Buffy & tells her of her Vampire Slayer destiny. Disbelieving him at every turn, Buffy went on with her life normally until Merrick threw a knife at her head, which she caught with ease to prove that Buffy _is _a Slayer.

Merrick's reward was a punch in the jaw for his efforts.

Despite the near-death experience, Buffy took the bait & trained with Merrick for a time before facing her first real threat to the world – the vampire Lothos, whose reign of terror lasted since the eleventh or twelfth century. In their first encounter, Merrick faced Lothos alone while urging Buffy to make a hasty retreat, indicating she wasn't ready to face him just yet. Reluctantly, Buffy agreed & fled on a motorcycle with Pike, a friend whose lost some of his own to vampires. In the midst of their battle, Merrick took the gun he had & placed it in his mouth & pulled the trigger, killing himself & denying Lothos his desire of making him one of his undead legion.

While she _did _have a hard time with him, Buffy _still_ felt terrible about Merrick's death.

At the Hemery High School, Buffy faced & defeated Lothos with a can of mace & lit it on fire once the vampire ignited her cross, burning him alive before plunging the stake through his heart & disintegrating the undead fiend. Next, she used the same method to burn down the school gymnasium & vanquish the other vampires that were attempting to feast on the kids at the dance. The number of confirmed deaths were about twelve-&-a-half, & while the press didn't say anything about vampires (they claimed it was 'a roving gang of crack-crazed gunmen'), Buffy was still expelled for her juvenile actions of burning it down, which later lead to the divorce of her parents.

The move from Hemery, Los Angeles to Sunnydale didn't make things any better for Buffy: upon arriving into her new town & high school, she was introduced to her _new _Watcher Rupert Giles, the school librarian.

And when she first asked him for a book to read, what kind does Giles give her?

A large thick book with the word 'Vampyr' onto it.

Soon, Buffy learned that no matter how hard she tries, there was _no escaping _her destiny, & the weirdness which she desperately wanted to avoid followed her like a loyal pet: a harvest of vampires to feed upon the living which would help revive the Master Vampire, who was locked away in his domain for countless years; a mother – Catherine Madison – who practiced with witchcraft & wanted to relive her glory days in school that she literally switched bodies with her own daughter – Amy – to try out for the cheerleading squad & would do _anything_ to win; a She-Mantis creature who wandered in the guise of a substitute science teacher – Natalie French – that fertilizes eggs into young virgins & later decapitates them (a fate her fellow student Xander Harris almost shared); an animalistic adventure when imported & sick hyenas at a zoo possess a group of students – including Xander – with their characteristics which resulted in the cannibalistic deaths of Herbert (the school's pig mascot for the building's football team, the Razorbacks) & principal Bob Flutie as they were literally eaten alive; her classmate Willow Rosenberg's crush on a computer nerd who's named Malcolm Black, who turned out to be a demon named Moloch that was imprisoned inside a book in Cartona, Italy back in 1418 & was unwittingly released on the internet after teacher Jennifer Calendar had scanned the book that imprisoned Moloch; an encounter with a ventriloquist & dummy act – Morgan & Sid – whose wooden puppet was actually alive after a curse was placed upon him & went around taking organs from unwilling donors until the perpetrator was killed by the puppet himself, thus ending his curse for good; a realm where everyone's nightmares became reality, which in turn was becoming warped until the one causing the nightmares – a young kid named Billy – woke up from a coma after his own baseball coach mercilessly beat him up for losing a game; a girl – Marcie Ross – who was practically all but invisible to her fellow classmates literally _became _invisible & started attacking those that ridiculed & ignored her, most especially Cordelia Chase & her friends, almost becoming successful.

Then there's the mysterious man named Angel, who warned her about the coming of the Harvest orchestrated by the Master Vampire & even fought alongside her when Darla attacked her mother Joyce & tried to blame Angel for it, followed by the final confrontation with the Master himself.

On the subject of the Master, the prelude to it was just as tense as the actual battle.

Buffy could still see & hear everything that went on in those moments as if it were only yesterday:

_Sunnydale High School, one month ago:_

On the eve of the dance at the Bronze (_and _when the Master is allegedly supposed to rise), Buffy went to the sink in the bathrooms to wash up. Turning on the faucet, she was horrified to see it filling with _blood _instead of water.

"Giles, you're _not _gonna believe this", Buffy says, walking into the library when she hears a voice in the other room. It was Giles.

Quietly & quickly walking over to his private office, she can hear Giles continuing.

"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. It's happening now", he says.

Being able to see inside his office, Buffy can see that Giles wasn't alone.

"Angel?", she says in a soft voice, walking over to the office yet staying out of sight.

"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong", Angel says.

"I've checked it against _all _my other volumes. It's very real", Giles went on.

"Well, there's gotta be some way _around _it."

"Listen, some prophecies are a bit dodgy. They're mutable. Buffy herself has thwarted them time & time again. But this is the codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."

"Then you're reading it wrong."

"I wish to God I _were_, but it's very plain. Tomorrow night, Buffy will face the Master…and she will die."

Giles stayed silent to allow his words to sink in with Angel & an unsuspecting Buffy.

"Well, have you verified the text?", asks Angel after a few moments.

The sound of Buffy's soft laughter caught their attention, never realizing she'd been listening in on them as they walk out of Giles' office & into the library itself.

Buffy turned to face them.

"So that's it, huh?", she began to say. "I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called. Wonder who she is? Will you train her…or will they send someone else?"

"Buffy, I – ", Giles started as Buffy went on.

"They say how he was gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?"

Angel walks over to comfort Buffy.

"Don't touch me!", she snapped, vehemently pulling away from him. "You even gonna tell me?"

"I was hoping that I wouldn't _have _to, that there was some way around it", Giles says.

"I got a way around it. I quit."

"It's not that simple", Angel informs her.

"I'm making it _that _simple! I quit. I resign. I-I'm fired. You can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over."

"I'm not sure that anyone else _can_", Giles says. "All the signs indicate…"

"The signs?", Buffy asked, picking up a pair of books & tosses them angrily at Giles, who dodges each one. As Buffy spoke again, it's with an angry/loud voice. "Read me the signs! Tell me my _fortune! _You're so useful sitting here with all your books! You're _really _a lot of help!"

"No, I don't suppose I am", Giles softly says, the guilt clearly in his voice.

"I know this is hard", Angel says.

"What do _you _know about this? You're _never _gonna die!", Buffy snapped.

"You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way."

"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!"

"Buffy, it the Master rises…", Giles says.

"I don't _care!_", she snapped as tears started falling from her eyes. When she spoke again, it was in a much softer tone. "I don't care. Giles, I'm 16 years old. I don't wanna die."

Grabbing her silver cross necklace, Buffy ripped it off & threw it on the floor before exiting the library.

It would be a decision she would later regret: the next night, after briefly arguing with Giles on who was to face the Master & punching him out, Buffy entered the schoolyard armed with a crossbow & came upon a small young boy.

The Anointed One.

"Help me", he says.

"It's okay. I know who you are", Buffy says, not fooled by his innocence for a second.

Accepting his outstretched hand, Buffy allows the Anointed One to lead her into the entranceway that will take her directly into the Hellmouth itself. Once he leads her into the realm, the Anointed One calmly & quietly leaves her alone in it.

The moment of truth has finally arrived.

"Welcome", the Master says from his hiding place.

"Thanks for having me", Buffy says, readying her crossbow as the Master appeared out of hiding but still out of sight from her. "You know, you really ought to talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage."

"Oh, good", the Master says, making himself known. "The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the…"

Honing in on his voice, Buffy turned & fired her weapon directly at the Master's heart. To her surprise, he caught it with ease just inches from piercing his heart & examines the wooden arrow.

"Nice shot. You're not going to kill me with that thing", he says before breaking it in half & tossing it away.

"Don't be so sure", Buffy says, rearming her weapon.

"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you?", the Master says, going into hiding again. "You are not the hunter. You are the lamb."

With her crossbow ready, Buffy searches the realm for any sign of her foe.

"You know, for someone who's all-powerful, you sure do like to hide", Buffy called out.

"I'm waiting for you", the Master says from the shadows. "I want this moment to last."

"Well, I don't."

The Master came in from behind Buffy without a sound.

"I understand", he says, surprising his enemy.

As Buffy turned around, the Master knocked her weapon away & snatched her throat. She gets loose & runs, but is stopped dead in her tracks when the Master extended his hand & approached her. Buffy tried to move but couldn't.

"You tried", he said from right behind her. "It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free & you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything."

His next statement he whispers to her sent a chill up her spine.

"You're the one that sets me free", he says, causing a tear in her eye as he spoke normally. "If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that."

Driving his fangs into her neck, the Master drained some of Buffy's blood, causing her to gasp.

"Oh god! The power!", he says, savoring the taste as he allows Buffy to drop into a small pond of water.

_Now:_

Buffy couldn't remember too well if she heard his words as she fell into that pond & was left for dead until Angel & Xander helped to revive her.

All she _does _know is that she'll never forget that experience as long as she lives.

When Buffy gets out of the shower, dries herself off & puts on her underwear & top, she sees the time was now fifteen minutes to three in the afternoon, with no signs of the rain subsiding. She uses that time span to blow-dry her hair before deciding to nap in her bed, even though she didn't really feel too sleepy considering the nap she took upon her desk: napping on a rainy day is equivalent to most people, & Buffy Summers was no exception, Slayer or not.

And with her father Hank currently on unavoidable business for a few days, she had the place to herself.

It was totally fine with her, because she could definitely use a period of solitude.

Her clock radio read 3:00 in the afternoon & was playing Santana's 'Black Magic Woman' from the early 1970s.

Pulling the covers off her bed & placing them at the end, Buffy plopped down onto her bed, her face buried in her pillow. She's going to sleep like the dead or, in _her _case, the _un_dead.

Moments later, a black vortex of sorts opened up underneath Buffy & unknowingly sinks into it, disappearing in seconds. Once she was completely sucked in, the vortex closes as suddenly as it appeared, leaving absolutely no trace of it anywhere.

What will happen to Buffy Summers is anybody's guess.

**CHAPTER IV**

_The Mano Residence, Tokyo, Japan, 8:00 a.m.:_

Unlike Los Angeles, this morning in Japan's capital was a bright & sunny day as birds chirped happily in nearby bushes & trees, with lots of golden sunshine everywhere one looked. Within the Mano residence, Sayako Mano, her mother Madoka & Azusa Kanzaki were at the table, enjoying a breakfast of fish, white rice, bacon & eggs with juice in helping to wash it all down. Everyone was enjoying their first meal of the day as they started it.

Everyone, that is, except for Yohko.

"Uh, that _ditz _of a granddaughter of mine is going to miss her breakfast – again!", Madoka grumbled, checking her watch. "Well…not _my _fault if she suddenly _collapses _from being malnourished!"

"No worries, grandmother", Azusa assured her. "I've personally set her alarm clock to ring at about exactly eight o'clock in the morning just last night. In fact, I'd say it's due to go off right about…"

The sound of an alarm clock ringing blaringly, followed immediately by Yohko crying out in surprise & thumping on the floor afterwards could be heard even from downstairs.

"Now", Azusa finished.

Madoka simply let out an irritating sigh.

"More often than not, I find it _difficult _to believe that this _bimbo _is actually _related _to me!", she says irritably. "I better get up there & make _sure _she's awake! Knowing _that _girl, you can drop an _atomic bomb _on her, & I'll bet you she'd _still _be sleeping like the dead by the time all the dust & smoke clears!"

"Give me a moment or two & I'll accompany you, mother", Sayako says cheerfully.

"Fine, fine!"

She mumbled something under her breath – something unpleasant.

The alarm from her clock rang like a giant bumblebee flying around in her room, forcing Yohko Mano out of a deep, sound sleep after a hard night's work in ridding the world of another demon creature with Azusa Kanzaki's help. Yohko awoke from her slumber in a snap from the buzzing like somebody was giving her electro shock therapy before crying out in surprise & falling to the floor upon her bottom, just as Azusa predicted. Her body feeling like dead weight & her mouth like it'd been used for an ashtray, Yohko slaps the infernal device, shutting off its bothersome noise right before getting herself back to bed.

Feeling hot despite the air conditioner blowing cool air into the room, Yohko was dressed in nothing more than her white underwear & tank top as she threw the bed sheets/covers down to one end before getting back onto it, with her face staring up at the ceiling & her eyes open just a crack.

_Uhh, somebody _hit _me_, Yohko thought, trying desperately to wake herself on her own power, her vision blurry at best.

As she urged herself to get up, a black oval void appeared above Yohko by her ceiling, temporarily making the room dark despite the bright sunshine coming in. It opened in a horizontal position & was about eight feet in length, remaining there until it spilled an object from within its depths before closing & vanishing completely.

Yohko barely acknowledges this unusual phenomenon's presence in her bedroom in her current condition, much less the prize it's just disposed of before completely disappearing.

It headed right for her.

_UUUHHH!_

The falling object – a girl with blonde hair, wearing the exact same attire as Yohko herself – lands on top of her with a force that nearly knocked the wind right out of her. The blonde – Buffy Summers – receives the same treatment as both young ladies are momentarily stunned & lay disoriented/dazed as each one fought to regain her senses & figure out what the hell just happened. Buffy does so first, sitting on top of Yohko as if she were about to get intimate with the Devil Hunter who, even now, regains her own senses & stares at Buffy on top of her, as unbelieving of her current position as the Vampire Slayer herself.

The two monster-killing teens become immobile & mute as they stare at each other, blinking their eyes & trying to comprehend their situation.

It takes them nearly half a minute before the realization finally kicked in.

"_Eeeeeeeeeeee!_"

Both girls screech in shock & humorous horror as each one sees a stranger in front of them before they back away at each side of the bed – Yohko at the front, Buffy in the back.

"Who are _you?! _What the hell are you _doing _here?!", Buffy & Yohko say hysterically in unison, pointing at one another in disbelief.

Aside from her hysteria, Buffy does a quick search of her immediate surroundings & finds it was _not _familiar, making her even more uneasy.

"_Wait _a minute…_this _isn't my room!", she replied in a panicked voice.

"Duh, no _shit_, Miss Sherlock!", Yohko said sarcastically, with a touch of demand in her tone. "Perhaps you'd like to start by explaining to me just _how _exactly in the hell you even _got _here, landing on _top _of me almost _butt-naked _like you wanted to _make out _with me!"

Her last statement made Buffy stare at her.

"What? _Ewww!_", she replied. "As if! And as to how I even _got _here & saw you in _your _own undies, one moment I was lying in bed at my dad's apartment in Los Angeles, & the _next _thing that I knew…"

The sound of the knob on Yohko's bedroom door clicking interrupts Buffy's explanation as it opened up to show Sayako & Madoka at the entrance.

"Are you all right, Yohko? I suddenly heard screaming in here & thought that maybe…", Sayako said, halting in mid-sentence when she & Madoka took note of Buffy sitting on Yohko's bed, being in nothing but her white undies as Yohko herself is.

Buffy wished for one of Giles' spells to whisk her away right about now.

"Who in the _hell _might I ask are _you_, little girl?!", Madoka asked fiercely, taking an instant disliking to Buffy as she stared at the Vampire Slayer with equally fierce eyes.

"Oh, leave her be, mother", Sayako says, smiling. "She's probably just one of Yohko's friends that came to make sure she got up in time for the big annual event taking place today…am I right?"

Everyone from Yohko to her mother/grandmother stared at Buffy, awaiting an answer.

If the Slayer is to get through this ordeal somehow, she needs an edge.

"Uh, _yeah_…that's it! I just, um…dropped in unannounced, that's all!", Buffy says with a sheepish smile & even giving a victory sign with one hand. "Sorry about that!"

Yohko's face was slightly red with embarrassment, while her grandmother still stared at her with hard eyes, being most unconvinced.

Luckily, Sayako took the bait.

"Not at all, dear", she says, her warm smile still present. "Breakfast is still warm, so you two get dressed & come on down for some nourishment."

"Great! I _am _rather famished!", Buffy said.

"Come, mother – let's leave them be", Sayako finished, heading back downstairs.

Madoka kept her hard stare at Buffy for several moments more before pointed two of her fingers at her eyes just before pointing them both at the Slayer & heading down herself.

It made Buffy even _more _uneasy.

_Well, she watches Robert De Niro movies_, Buffy thought. _That's good…I think._

With nothing else to go on, Buffy decided to play along, as did Yohko.

_Five minutes later:_

As Yohko went in the shower to freshen herself up, she told Buffy to rummage through her clothes & pick out whatever outfit tickled her fancy. It didn't take long for her to find what she liked & put them on: a pair of brown pants with purple belt & brown sandal shoes, topping it off with a short-sleeved medium-pink shirt. For the finishing touch, Buffy finds a necklace with an iron cross attached & places it on her neck. When Yohko stepped out of the bathroom, she was attired in a blue skirt & matching shoes, ending with a baby pink shirt. Once they were done, they introduced themselves to one another & where they were from: when Yohko told Buffy she was in Tokyo, she was stunned by the revelation.

One look out the bedroom window was all the proof the Slayer needed to be convinced.

Both ladies of course quickly surmised that the black vortex Yohko saw minutes ago was how she arrived from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

What neither of them could deduce was to who _created_ it, let alone figure out _why_ Buffy was transported from America to Japan in that manner.

That answer will have to wait until sometime after breakfast, as their tummies rumbled.

Once the duo got downstairs to the table, they each enjoyed the same food Sayako, Madoka & Azusa did. Buffy introduced herself to the trio as they did the same in return once she was finished. To cover up & disguise her unexpected & sudden appearance in Yohko's room, Buffy quickly thinks of a plausible story as to how she knows Yohko.

Fortunately, the majority took it in stride, & it stuck.

"So, you're here in Tokyo on summer vacation with your family, & you've managed to come across my darling Yohko & became good friends", Sayoko says, smiling.

"That's…just about the sum of it, yeah", Buffy replied, still a tad worried that Yohko's family will see through her deception.

Luckily enough for her, it holds.

_Pretty good, Miss Summers_, Yohko thought, keeping a straight face throughout the ordeal, although still nervous from the pit of her stomach.

But while Sayoko & Azusa have been taken in by Buffy's tale, Madoka was another story: she _still _thinks rather suspiciously of the Slayer, not convinced that her story was on the level.

She kept her glare at the Slayer while she ate.

"I don't know!", the old woman says, staring at Buffy like she was a spy or burglar. "There's something _really _odd about _you_, dearie! I can't place my _finger _on it yet, but _something's _telling me you're not exactly what you _seem _to be! Care to fill us _in _on it? I'm _gonna _find out sooner or later, so _spill it!_"

As Madoka spoke, she brought herself closer to Buffy's face until she was only inches away, making the Slayer sweat from her brow. Her heartbeat also accelerates: has she instantly found out Buffy's true heritage already? Does she feel that Buffy has discovered Yohko's & was keeping it to herself?

With the pressure Madoka was putting on her, Buffy felt like she might suddenly faint.

_Giles, Xander, Willow, Miss Calendar, Angel, okay even Cordelia…help! Someone? Please?_, Buffy thought in one of those rare moments where she was truly scared.

For her, it was _worse _than facing off with the Master.

"_Mother!_", Sayoko snapped, forcing Madoka to back away & sparing Buffy further humiliation.

Turning to the Slayer, Sayoko put on an apologetic face & spoke in that tone.

"Uh, please excuse my mother, Buffy", she explains. "She's just…suffering from a bit of Alzheimer's Disease at her age, that's all."

"_Excuse _me…_WHO _the hell has Alzheimer's Disease?!", Madoka yells, giving Sayoko a fiery look.

"Who the hell do you _think_, you old bat?!", Sayoko retaliates in both tone & look, getting in her mother's face. "Stop _pestering _Yohko's friends like you always _do!_"

"And just _which _'old bat' do you happen to be _referring _to, dear daughter?!"

"Do you see any _other _old bats in this room, or even in this _house _of ours?!"

The fiery stares between mother & daughter continues, as does the constant bickering.

Yohko, Buffy & Azusa remained on the sidelines & ate their breakfast, not wanting to get involved.

"Are they _always _like this?", Buffy asks.

"Constantly", Yohko replied with an innocent look on her face.

_And I thought _I _had 'mommy issues'!_, Buffy thought.

Amusing as it was for Yohko & Azusa to see Sayoko & Madoka in one of their fits, the blue-haired girl gave the former a reminder.

"Um, excuse me, Miss Yohko, but shouldn't we be heading off now to the you-know-what?"

Azusa's reminder forced Sayoko & Madoka to withdraw from their quarrel standoff as they face the ladies.

"But of course, Azusa!", Sayoko says with a warm face. "Let me just get a few things & I'll drop you all off!"

Buffy, Yohko & Azusa all nod as they rise from their seats & head for the door.

Once their backs were turned, Sayoko & Madoka face each other again, their faces hard as stone.

"You got _lucky _this time!", they say to each other in a final warning before backing away.

_One of these days, grandma…_, Yohko thought, believing Madoka will go too far & get what was coming to her.

After grabbing her car keys & some yen to give the young trio, Sayoko & the girls head off.

_Yohko's high school:_

On their way over to the school, Sayoko wished to apologize again for her mother Madoka's irrational behavior towards Buffy during breakfast. The Slayer told Sayoko that it wasn't really necessary, as Buffy had something of a reputation in being labeled 'the new kid', with that & family disputes were nothing new to her. Buffy even gave her a brief description of life in her hometown (minus the vampires & creatures, of course), having parents divorced & being with her mom Joyce in a new town, adjusting to a new school & such.

Hearing such a condition for Buffy to deal with in her young life made Sayoko feel deep sympathy towards the Slayer, but Buffy informed her that while she did go through such a harrowing experience, she adds that she's tougher than she looks & could handle it.

They arrived at Yohko's high school in good time, & as they departed, Sayoko handed the ladies a good deal of money for the girls to use on their trip. While Yohko & even Azusa gladly accept the offering, Buffy was hesitant in taking it, saying she couldn't possibly ask for such a gift.

Sayoko quickly added that she wasn't asking…she was offering. In the most generous manner.

Yohko told Buffy that she ought to go ahead & accept her mother's offering, adding that she always saves herself a bundle for this occasion every year. Azusa _also _adds that once Sayoko gets it in her mind to do something, no force can dissuade her in any way.

Believing she won't back down, Buffy took the money & thanked Sayoko for it, along with the breakfast _and _ride to school.

Saying it was her pleasure, Sayoko smiled, wished them all well & drove off.

Buffy was amazed at how friendly & generous the Japanese people can be – even to a total stranger.

Like most people, she found it hard to believe that her country & Japan were once engaged in a horrible war over 50 years ago, & that they've killed so many people in other countries, ranging from China, Singapore, & the like.

It's amazing to see them as a benevolent race rather than a fierce, war-mongering one.

Then again, having an atomic bomb dropped on one's country – twice – _can _change its attitude at the mere drop of a dime.

Buffy was starting to enjoy being in Japan, unexpected trip or not.

However, her personal joy needs to be put aside for the moment as Buffy needed to try & get to the bottom of her arrival in the Land of the Rising Sun, & with no one else around to hear their conversation, the girls get right down to it.

"So, you have absolutely no idea on how you ended up here in Japan, Buffy?", Yohko asked.

"None whatsoever, Yohko", Buffy says. "Like I told you before, one moment I was resting in my bed over in my dad's apartment ready to nap on a dreary rainy day, & before I knew it, I fell & landed right on top of you on _your_ bed the next."

"Whoa! How did _that _happen?", Azusa asked.

Yohko & Buffy gave Azusa a look that easily read 'none of your damn business'.

"Long story, I get it. Never mind", Azusa says innocently.

"But anyway, Buffy, I think _I _know how you did", Yohko says as they resumed their walk.

"How so?", the Slayer wondered.

"Well, this morning as I was _just _opening my eyes a crack, I saw a large patch of black open up on my ceiling. I believed I was simply _imagining _the whole thing, you know…like how most people are when they're just waking up in the morning."

"Therefore, without me acknowledging or even _feeling _it, that void must've opened & swallowed me up in my own bed, thus bringing me here."

"More or less."

"So…who would even have the power to _do _that?", Azusa wondered, trying to piece it together herself. "More to the point, why was Miss Summers of all people summoned & sent through it, & arriving at Miss Yohko's home, of all places?"

Who & why indeed.

Azusa's questions only raised more, faster than any answers could be given: who _does _have the power to send Buffy through a portal unexpectedly & send her to Tokyo, Japan? Surely it couldn't have been Catherine Madison, the mother of Amy who used witchcraft to take over her daughter's body & relive her childhood: during _that _conflict, she tried to use her magic on Buffy, but the Slayer defeated her by using a giant mirror to reflect her spell back & cause the witch to disappear to God-knows-where. And it also couldn't have been either Moloch or the Master himself: neither of them have the power of teleportation, far as Buffy could tell.

While she didn't have all the answers, Buffy _does_ know that there must be a _reason _for her being here in Tokyo, & that her arrival here _isn't _by chance _or _coincidence: she's been in her line of work long enough to know a setup when she sees one.

"You do raise some good, valid questions, Azusa", Buffy said. "But before any of us goes crazy in trying to find out the answers & attract a lot of unwanted attention, let's just allow for the day to go ahead as planned. Who knows? With a little grace & luck, maybe the answers we seek will be dropped right onto our laps instead of vice-versa. What do you say?"

With no good ideas of their own, Yohko & Azusa agreed.

"Sound advice, Miss Summers. Miss Yohko & I will do that", Azusa said as Yohko nodded.

"Thanks, Azusa. And please…call me Buffy, but _without _the 'Miss' in front", she said kindly.

"If you prefer it that way…Buffy."

The trio share a giggle, keeping in good spirits.

But whether or not Buffy's arrival was intentional or not, she still couldn't have picked a better day for her to be in Japan's capital city.

"So, this trip your school does every year…it helps to raise money for charity in order to give people around the world who are less fortunate food, clean water, medicine & other essentials to make it through the day?", Buffy asked.

"Correct, Buffy", Azusa said. "All around the world, people are starving in various countries _because _they're not getting the basic essentials they need for everyday life. It's the main reason _why _our school holds this event on an annual basis in conjunction with foreigners that visit our country daily: for each ones that take a tour bus, all of the proceeds go to helping those who desperately need it. With so many foreigners paying Japan a visit, especially in summertime, our school decided to make it an annual event, which raises quite a fortune each time."

"People from America, you mean?"

"Not _just _from the United States, Buffy", Yohko adds. "People from all over – England, Russia, Australia, even from the likes of India & Africa – come to see our country & discover its beauty & way of life here. It's been going on for many years, even before Azusa & myself even _came _to this school. You remember that 'USA for Africa' event in America over a decade ago?"

"I was very _young _at the time, but yes – I _do _remember."

"That was where the idea came from. Mr. Takao Yamamoto – a rich billionaire who lives on the outskirts of this city – helps to arrange for these trips every year at this time, as he's made something of a pact with our school: for every successful tour it does, he returns the favor in a big way by making sure our school gets the best supplies, all the latest updated books in subjects ranging from history to math, & so forth."

"So, in short, Japan is collaborating with the world to help these people."

"Precisely."

"And even though _your _arrival was sudden & unexpected, we're _glad _you could join us, Buffy!", Azusa said but put on a worried face when she didn't answer. "You _will _join us…won't you?"

Buffy stared at the blue-haired girl & Yohko: since arriving unexpectedly in Tokyo, the Slayer wasn't sure what to expect, having gotten the suspicious eye treatment from Madoka upon first contact & throughout breakfast. Even her new friend Yohko had similar feelings after her 'dropping in' on the young girl – and in her _underwear_, same as her.

It was a two-way street: while Madoka had her suspicions about Buffy, the Slayer had _her _suspicions about not just Madoka, but Yohko & Azusa as well. Upon arrival, Buffy felt some kind of mysterious aura around Yohko & even from Azusa – something _she _couldn't place her _own _finger on yet.

That same feeling she felt when Madoka herself was in close proximity of her – similar, yet different.

Unknown to the Slayer, Yohko & Azusa also felt some kind of aura surrounding Buffy, but _they _also kept it to themselves: when & if the time comes for the big revelation will determine on which path the girls go from that point forward.

For now, each of the girls will play along as Buffy gave her answer.

"Oh, what the hell…why not?", she says. "Besides…I always _did _want to see 'Godzilla's stomping grounds' in one way or another."

Her answer drew grins from Yohko & Azusa, happy to have Buffy on the team.

"Glad to hear it, miss", said a new voice.

A man approached the trio in blue jeans, black shoes, white dress shirt & had short brown hair & same-colored eyes. He wasn't alone: a young girl dressed in a green summer outfit with matching shoes, long brown hair & round glasses over her eyes walked alongside him, happy to see them as the big smile on her face shows.

They were both familiar faces to Yohko & Azusa, especially the girl.

"Chi!", the two Devil Hunters cried in joy as they share a group hug as Buffy & the man watched pleasantly.

"Glad you both could make it as Chigako Ogawa here did, Yohko Mano, Azusa Kanzaki", the man said, noticing Buffy for the first time. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss…I don't think I've ever seen _you _here before. What's your name, sweetie?"

"Oh uh, good morning, Mr. – ", Buffy started to say.

"Yusuke Sano. I'm one of the teachers here & one of the top collaborators who helps in getting this annual event going each year. Is it _your_ first time attending this trip?"

"That it is. I'm Buffy…Buffy Summers from the town of Sunnydale, California."

"Sunnydale, huh? Sounds like a very nice little town, Buffy."

_Yeah…if you exclude the vampires & other weird creatures that go bump in the night_, Buffy says to herself with an innocent smile.

"It's…got its good side, yes", she says orally. "Look, Mr. Sano, I've just…dropped in suddenly here in Tokyo, & the last thing I want is to cause a burden to you _or _this trip you've planned, so if there's no place on it for me, then believe me when I say I'll understand & just be on my way with no harm done."

Yohko, Chi & Azusa stared at Mr. Sano, wondering (& worried) if he'll decide to send her away.

"Nonsense, Buffy", Mr. Sano says, giving the girls relief. "We have _plenty _of room for a few latecomers, & even if we didn't, I'd gladly drive you & your friends around in my own car if I had to. Happy to have you aboard with us, Miss Summers! And speaking of which, we'll be heading off in about fifteen minutes, so make sure you're on one of those buses before we pull out, okay?"

"Yes sir!", Buffy, Yohko, Azusa & Chi say in unison before Mr. Sano smiled & headed off.

"Looks like Mr. Sano just made it official, Buffy: you're going to be accompanying us after all!", Yohko said. "Oh, before I forget…this is _another _good friend of mine, Miss Chigako Ogawa! We call her 'Chi' for short!"

"Chi, please say hello to…", Azusa started to say.

"Buffy Summers!", Chi says, shaking her hand. "No worries, Azusa: I heard when she introduced herself to Mr. Sano just now. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Summers!"

"The same right back to you…Chi, was it?", Buffy asked as said person nodded. "Well, now that we've _all _been acquainted, what say we take Mr. Sano's advice & get on one of the buses before any of us gets left behind?"

"Sounds good to _us_, Buffy!", Azusa says.

At that moment, the girls hear commotion going on not twenty feet from where they stood. Turning towards the source of the disturbance, they could see a group of guys surrounding a pair of American girls they were rough-handling, each one trying desperately to get away but were held firm by the arms that were stronger than theirs.

Neither wanted to be with the guy strong-arming them, & the girls could tell.

"Come on, babes!", said the first punk. "Why don't you let _us _be your _dates _for this trip? Being in a foreign land you don't know, there's a lot of bad people that are always willing to take advantage of you! If you'll be _nice _to us, we promise you _won't _regret it later on! What do you say?"

"No thanks! Now get _off _of us, you creeps!", said the first girl.

"You sure?", asked the second punk. "They'll eat you alive out there without somebody to show you the ropes – _and _be your bodyguards!"

"We said…_no!_", said the second girl as they both slap their aggressors, forcing them to release their grips.

Each one gets their feet kicked out from under them, causing the American girls to fall down before they receive a kick to their sides that felt like being hit by rocks. The two American girls cried out in pain.

"Hey you there…assholes! Why don't you try doing that shit to _us?!_", Buffy called out to them.

The two juveniles looked to see Buffy & Yohko standing together with fists clenched & angry faces.

"Oh, lookee here…_another _American girl!", said the first punk.

Both punks walk up to the newcomers as their friends cheer them on, chanting their names Arashi & Juno.

Neither Buffy nor Yohko budge an inch even when both punks get within inches of theirs.

"_What _did you say to me, gaijin girl?", Arashi says fiercely. "You care to take that back & spare _yourself _a bad beating like we gave _those _two bitches, or do you want to be stupid & wind up in the hospital…or worse?"

Buffy & Yohko look to & gave each other a quick smirk.

"Gee, let us _think_ on that a moment…", Buffy started to say.

Without warning, Buffy & Yohko ram their right foot into the groin area of Arashi & Juno, causing them to cry out in excruciating pain that shot up from their family jewels & throughout their bodies. Their eyes bulged out as these ladies made them bend over with a single blow. The two girls follow it up with a hard fist to their faces when they look up, throwing their heads back & being driven five feet away as they landed on their backs.

Everyone from Arashi & Juno's friends, the two Americans, & staff stood in surprise as they see the aggressive Japanese boys get their asses handed to them.

"I think we're gonna go with 'stupid'!", Buffy & Yohko say in unison.

Arashi & Juno were laying on the floor in a dazed state, but Buffy & Yohko weren't done with the punks yet: a grab at their shirt lapels & groin to each took place just before being slammed against the wall as the two girls looked them straight in the eye with a stare that made them cringe.

Tears of pain started forming in Arashi & Juno's eyes.

"Real fucking team spirit you shitbags got going!", Yohko fiercely barked. "Our school works _hard _to get this event arranged for a good universal cause, & _you _dumbasses harass a pair of American girls?! _That _in itself sends the _wrong message _as to what this charity event is all about! What's _wrong _with you creeps anyway?!"

Neither Arashi nor Juno could answer due to the pain they were experiencing.

Plus, they were too afraid of the girls that now had them at their mercy.

"No answer, huh? Why are we _not _surprised?!", Buffy snapped. "Well, _we've _got an answer for the _both _of you, & we suggest you take it to heart: the _next _time we see _either _of you harassing another girl like them again, regardless of nationality or race, my friend & I here will _rip _your two best friends out from between your legs & _feed _them to the dogs! You both _got _that?!"

Neither boy said a word.

"_Answer us!_", Buffy & Yohko barked.

"yes ma'am", Arashi said in a voice that was a squeal.

Juno simply nodded repeatedly.

"All right, ladies…you both made your point", said one of two guards on campus as they approached the two defeated delinquents, with Buffy & Yohko releasing them & backing away. "So, Arashi & Juno…always making some sort of trouble even on a day that's supposed to be filled with unity & fun!"

"Well, not today!", said the second guard. "Effective immediately, you two punks are doing community service for the rest of the summer until the first day of school, ranging from eight in the morning straight to midnight!"

Their punishment shocked the two delinquents as Juno tried to speak.

"It's either _that _or Juvenile Hall!", both guards stated, silencing him on the spot.

Defeated, both delinquents get escorted away from the group as Buffy & Yohko turn their attention towards the ones that egged Arashi & Juno on.

"As for the _rest _of you creeps…", Buffy stated. "You'll be atoning for _your _error by showing those two American girls kindness & companionship as we travel through Tokyo!"

"And if even _one _of you mistreats either of them in _any _way…you _know _what's going to happen!", Yohko adds. "Now…do we understand each other?"

The guys in Arashi & Juno's party respond with answers like 'yes of course', 'no problem' & 'you got it', among others as the girls' points get across & not wanting to suffer their wrath.

Immediately they start treating the two American girls with dignity as they help the ladies up from the ground & politely ask if they would like to join them on the tour.

Seeing the fight taken out of them completely thanks to Buffy & Yohko, they agreed.

Both American girls look to the Slayer & Hunter, giving them a smile & a wink in gratitude.

Yohko & Buffy gave them indifferent.

"A perfect example of international relations!", Chi said from behind them.

"That's _one _way of putting it, Chi!", Yohko says as she & her party giggle slightly.

"Let's get ourselves on those buses, ladies!", Buffy says.

Nodding, they went to do exactly that.

Buffy's trip through Tokyo was about to begin!

_6:00 p.m.:_

Just as she hoped, Buffy Summers' stroll through Japan's capital city was anything but a disappointment: mainly everywhere she looked was a marvel of modern-day urban civilization, with many buildings that seemingly touched the heavens with ease. Entering many districts such as Yokohama, Kawasaki, Setagaya, Minato & the like were impressive beyond words, especially when they make several stops at the multitude of shopping centers everywhere she & her new friends look: stores that sell various food, clothing & other goodies that feels like one had died & reached Heaven.

In a way, Buffy _has _died – again – but this time, in a _good _way.

Entering a clothing store, Buffy saw something that really & literally tickled her pink – a said-colored kimono for her to add to her collection of exotic clothing. She also purchases a pair of wooden sandals & handheld fans to go with her Japanese demeanor. Going into a dressing room, Buffy puts on her pink kimono & shoes to display for Yohko, Azusa & Chi to witness.

They all approve 100%, & even display their approval with hand clapping.

Like a true Japanese woman, Buffy bows in that traditional sense with a grin.

Purchasing her newfangled items, she placed them in a bag & headed back onto the streets.

Afterwards, the group headed into a store that sold all sorts of weaponry, ranging from samurai swords, ninja stars, Nunchakus, Sai daggers, Katana blades, Bo staffs, & mostly anything else a ninja/samurai would want or need in his arsenal. Feeling the opportunity too good to pass up, Buffy picked up a samurai sword with a black tsuba, a cache of ninja stars, plus something else which reminds her of home: a plethora of sharp, wooden stakes that were displayed underneath glass. Although it seemed unlikely that Buffy will run into any of the undead in Godzilla's homeland, she nevertheless purchases two & stuffs them into the backpack she also picked up in the store.

Call it an old habit, as they really _do _die hard.

During the 1:00 hour, everyone went to an uptown café for a meal of each person's choosing, just before heading over to the Shinjuku District, where some of the city (& the world's) tallest buildings stood proud: the NS & Sumitomo Buildings, Keio Plaza, the Ippudo Shinjuku Island Tower, the Shinjuku Mitsui Building & of course the ever-famous Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the latter of which suffered total devastation at the climactic end of the 1991 Toho film 'Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah', where the two titular creatures fought their final battle in the area they were all now occupying.

Looking up at the skyscrapers, Buffy couldn't help but metaphorically imagine the King of the Monsters running rampant upon structures like these, or even that giant golden dragon with the three heads on snakelike necks that were capable of spitting lightning bolts from each of its mouths.

Buffy could even picture in her mind the giant butterfly Mothra or the overgrown pterodactyl Rodan flying right overhead, tearing down these marvels of man.

Then again, who _wouldn't _picture Godzilla or any of those other giant monsters from Toho Studios wreaking all kinds of havoc in Tokyo or any other city in Japan when they're there?

Heading back to the buses, the caravan of travelers head towards the area of Shiba Park, in the Minato District.

From there, Sano & his group took them up one of the city's most famous landmarks since 1958.

Tokyo Tower.

Reaching up to the Observation Deck, Yusuke gave the people a lecture on the tower's history like he did of the city itself right before they all became lost in its beauty of both the tower & looking at the entire city itself from their viewpoint through the windows that gave an unobstructed observation.

Buffy was no different: the view literally took her breath away, as she had never seen anything so awe-inspiring in her life, not even when she toured Los Angeles when she still lived there with both her parents.

Her only regret is that neither her parents nor her friends from Sunnydale were with her at this very moment to share this joyous, unforgettable experience – one she will always remember even if she had no camera to take pictures with.

_Oh my God!_, Buffy thought happily. _Mom, Dad, Giles, Miss Calendar, Xander, Willow, Amy, Cordelia, Angel…I _so _wish you all could be here right now to _see _this!_

So happy of the experience was Buffy, she came close to shedding tears of joy but fought them back.

If just barely.

When six o'clock came by, Mr. Sano decided to call it a day & return to the school in order for everyone – tourists & all – to get back to their homes/hotel rooms in order to enjoy a shower & meal before resuming in the morning the next day for more of the same. Along with everything they bought, the people felt happy about raising a high amount of money for this annual event as each cent they use to make purchases – food _or _merchandise – is donated to the cause.

Every receipt collected is kept by Mr. Sano to hand over to Takao Yamamoto himself to go collect the money & send it to sponsored charity.

On the first day of their tour, Mr. Sano is proud to say that they've raised quite a fortune, having collected quite a number of receipts from everybody.

He announced that _this _year's tour was even _more _successful than last year's, having collected nearly twice the amount of the previous.

This bit of news incited cheers from one & all, hearing of the incredible accumulation they achieved this year.

Buffy, with her samurai sword hanging from her shoulder by its strap & her other items (weapons in her backpack & kimono in her shopping bag), stepped off the bus with Yohko, Azusa & Chi following close behind. The Slayer saw all the tourists chatting friendly with the Japanese students, getting to know each other & sharing pieces/tidbits of their lives with them. Even the boys who egged Arashi & Juno on when they harassed those two American girls before the start of the tour were being such gentlemen to the two former victims, both of whom were returning their kindness.

Seeing the boys with an attitude change from malevolent to benevolent made Buffy & her three new friends feel relieved & good.

It wouldn't even be an understatement to say that Buffy & even Yohko were _proud _of the former bullies for their reformed behavior.

_I should go & threaten school bullies more often_, Buffy thought with a slight smirk.

Yohko was thinking the very same thing.

"So, Buffy Summers…", Chi says, getting her attention. "What did you think of our little tour so far?"

"_My _question exactly, Miss Ogawa", Yusuke Sano says, approaching Buffy with a smile. "Being it's your very first time here in our beautiful country, what _did _you think of it, Miss Summers?"

It took a moment or two before Buffy could answer.

"What can I _say_, Mr. Sano?", she began, smiling. "Mere words cannot even _begin _to describe how utterly/totally _wonderful _a tour this has been! Being here in Japan…I've honestly never felt more happy, more _alive_, as it were! And I absolutely _have _to thank you with all my heart for _allowing_ me this grand opportunity to see this fabulous city in all its glory! And before I forget…please send my sincerest thanks to Mr. Takao Yamamoto when next you run into him!"

"You'll be given the opportunity to deliver your message to him in person, Miss Summers", said a deep voice as Buffy & the rest turn to see a giant of a man standing a whopping 8 feet tall dressed in a black business suit & shoes. A head of ivory hair was slicked back, & his face looked as if it was carved from stone.

It was a little odd for Buffy not only because this complete stranger knew who she was, but also because he looks & even _sounds _very much like the character of Lurch from the classic sitcom 'The Addams Family'.

"And who might _you _be, exactly?", Buffy asked.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself first", he went on. "My name is Taro, Mr. Yamamoto's personal butler & driver. My master has asked me to come down & escort both you & Miss Yohko Mano over to his mansion, where he wishes to ask you both to perform a little…favor for him."

Taro's request is responded by words of encouragement to Buffy & Yohko from the students, urging them to go forth & proceed. Even Chi & Azusa joined in on the melee, their faces blushing with embarrassment & jealousy.

"You two _lucky stiffs!_", Azusa said. "You _both _get to meet Mr. Takao Yamamoto in the _flesh!_"

"_I'll _certainly say you are!", Chi said. "I sure wish it was _me _who was going!"

Her words got the group – especially the girls – to agree with Chi totally, feeling excited & jealous in unison.

"I don't know", Buffy starts to protest. "I mean, I'm quite _flattered _& everything, but still…"

"Oh, _come on_, Buffy!", Yohko steps in, trying desperately in urging her to go. "This is a _rare_, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Not just _anyone _gets this chance to meet this great, wonderful man face-to-face & in person! And besides, whatever Mr. Yamamoto wants us to _do _for him, I'm sure he'll reward us _handsomely _for our services!"

"Miss Mano speaks the truth, Miss Summers", Taro says, gesturing over to his limo parked over at the curb not far from where the buses were at. "Shall we get a move-on, ladies? Mr. Yamamoto awaits."

Buffy had a face on that she uses whenever taking a test in school: she's never _heard _of Takao Yamamoto, much less _seen _the man until today, & suddenly he's asking for Yohko Mano _and _her to pay him a visit? The Slayer has her suspicions about him, especially since he somehow _knew _she'd be here, & if what she suspects _is _true, it certainly bears investigating.

In the case that she's somehow _wrong_, then maybe what Yohko & even Taro said was true.

_If both of them are right, then perhaps I _should _see what Yamamoto would want from me_, Buffy thought. _Besides, Mom & Dad could _certainly _use the money to help with their finances & such. And if they ask me how I _got _the money, I'll just say I won a hefty sum from a scratch-off lotto ticket. _That _should be more than plausible enough._

That factor, along with the constant urging from Chi, Azusa & the other students made Buffy give in.

"Oh, all right", she relents. "If Mr. Yamamoto _is _as glamorous as you all claim him to be, then I guess there's no harm in seeing what he wants with little ol' me."

"_That's _the spirit, Buffy!", Yohko says cheerfully. "Come on – let's get going already!"

"But…what shall we tell your mom & grandmother?", Chi says, halting both ladies in their stride.

"Not to worry, Chi!", Yohko says, turning to her young apprentice. "Azusa, tell them that Buffy & I are going to be home a little late today. And here…take home our things."

Yohko takes the bag with Buffy's kimono inside & throws it to Azusa, followed by her own.

Azusa catches them with ease.

"But…for how long will you & Miss Summers be _gone _for, Yohko?", the blue-haired girl asked.

"I'll leave that to _you_, Azusa!", Yohko said. "Just…make up a story or _any _plausible excuse, & if we _really _get into a jam, we'll simply ask Mr. Yamamoto to give you a buzz! Ta-ta!"

Grabbing Buffy by the arm, Yohko cheerfully heads for the limo as Taro followed after bowing graciously at Mr. Sano & the others. Opening the rear door, Yohko & Buffy step inside as Taro closed it back up before getting over to the driver's side & getting behind the wheel. The limo hums to life & drives away from the grove of students, teachers & tourists, most of whom were full of envy yet eagerness for lucky Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano.

But even in her excitement/bewilderment, Azusa Kanzaki couldn't help but to feel concerned: something didn't seem right about all this, & she needs to figure it out what that is exactly. The pit of her stomach told her that something was off, & Azusa Kanzaki _always _trusts & follows her instincts.

Following that _and _Yohko's request, Azusa bid farewell to Chi before she began her journey home.

**CHAPTER V**

_The Southern Chiba District, 8:00 p.m.:_

Going the fastest/quickest route, Taro drives the limo through the city as Buffy gets even more spectacular sights not originally planned on the day's tour, but could quite possibly be on Mr. Sano's schedule for the next day or so. The road Taro took showed the Slayer & Hunter the body of water that is Tokyo Bay & the surrounding areas of Narashino, Ichihara, & the like.

Tempting as the Japanese scenery was to observe, Buffy wanted to know more about the man they were going to see this evening.

"So, Yohko…what _do _you know about this Takao Yamamoto, anyway?", the Slayer inquired.

"Well, Buffy…he's quite the businessman, for starters", Yohko began. "In addition to his charity work like the annual tours we do each summer, Mr. Yamamoto does business in stocks, real estate, & he also has a rather…feminine side to his personality."

"'Feminine side'? Meaning…"

Yohko's face turned a little red from embarrassment when she explains further.

"Yep: the _one _attribute to Mr. Yamamoto that people are most attracted to are both his line of exotic fashionwear for boys & girls, _and _that he's an artist into adultery, allowing people to create & play out their most intimate desires & fetishes: from spanking & bondage to lap-dancing & latex, anything one can think of, they can perform to their own heart's desires. In his first year alone, Mr. Yamamoto's profits have skyrocketed from a million yen to about _ten times _that amount. That's about _almost _as much as his dealings with the stock market & real estate sales, making him one of the wealthiest men alive. Did you know he was one of the few people who singlehandedly revived Japan's economy as it once took a nosedive almost a decade ago?"

"Not until you just mentioned it, no. Is there anything _else _the man specializes in?"

"Now that you brought _that _up, he's an avid collector of old relics & rare antiques from generations & centuries past. Even those that are known to have a…_mystic _origin, he stores in his private collection, safely under lock & key."

Buffy gave herself a moment or so to absorb the information.

"I've gotta say, Yohko…that's quite an impressive resume for a guy who sounds a lot like Japan's answer to our Hugh Hefner back in America", Buffy said, sharing a grin with her new friend. "Does he do public appearances, too?"

Yohko's grin vanished into a face of worry, as does Buffy's.

"That's the _weird _part, Buffy", she explains. "Mr. Yamamoto _loves _making public appearances, & he's so down-to-earth with everyone, from his business associates to his fans. He throws the biggest parties in every of our country's major holidays, from the New Year right to Christmas. But just _this _year, he hasn't been _seen _in public since the New Year began anywhere, & I mean _anywhere_. He continues with his _works_, of course, but since January, nobody's seen him around the city or the country in all that time. That's got more than a few eyebrows raised with his closest business partners."

"He hasn't left his home in six or seven months…and nobody even knows the _reason _for it?", Buffy asked. "You don't suppose something could've _happened _to him, do you?"

"I certainly hope _not_, Buffy, but…_your_ guess is clearly as good as mine."

The two ladies turn to Taro, who concentrated on driving.

"Mr. Taro…do _you _happen to know as to why Mr. Yamamoto hasn't been outside his home these past couple of months?", Buffy asked.

"All will be revealed once you girls meet him in person, Miss Summers", Taro replied. "Believe me…it's best for my master to explain it to you both himself."

Guessing was all Buffy & Yohko _could _do at the moment, since Taro was reluctant to fill them in on the details. Both ladies were lost in their private thoughts for the remainder of the trip, their minds recollecting the data: since her unexpected arrival in Tokyo, Japan via a case of hocus pocus, Buffy's been wondering who it was that did so. She's a complete stranger in a strange land, & she couldn't begin to surmise who would have the power to perform a teleport spell, much less why it _was _her that got sent from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

Could it have been Takao Yamamoto himself?

Probably not: just because he has rare items that are _supposed _to have mystical properties, it doesn't mean that he would know how to actually _use _it.

And she didn't count Yohko Mano as being a suspect: _she _was just as unaware of Buffy's 'surprise entrance' into her room as the Slayer was.

Maybe it was one of the Master Vampire's 'business associates' he had in Japan, some of which even his own crew (Luke, Darla, etc.) never knew about. It _was _possible: the Master's reign of terror was world-known, according to Giles' notes, so it wouldn't surprise Buffy if his reputation spread to foreign countries like Japan.

Vampires, demons & other creatures of the night aren't just limited to the United States, after all.

Moloch was proof of that, having hailed from Cartona, Italy when he was imprisoned in 1418.

But Giles never _spoke _of any associates to the Master from abroad, so how could that be?

Even Angel never mentioned anything of the kind, despite how many years he spent as one of his most vicious of bloodsuckers until he got his soul just before the turn of the 20th Century.

That would leave out Mr. Yamamoto, for he…

No: Takao Yamamoto was a simple businessman, & an extremely wealthy one at that.

Isn't he?

But he _did _know that Buffy was here in Japan, & now she was on her way to see the man himself, along with her new friend Yohko Mano, who was just as eager to know why _she _was picked above everyone else.

How, & why?

Now Buffy's as confused as ever: in _this _predicament, she couldn't tell who was the innocent bystander & who was the O.J. Simpson that had transported her here to the Land of the Rising Sun. Unless she was reading a Tom Clancy novel, Buffy doesn't like mysteries, & this one in particular troubled her. Deeply.

Unfortunately, the only thing she can do for the moment is to let this scenario play itself out to allow the clues to fall into place, piece them together &, hopefully, to solve it.

"Miss Summers, Miss Mano, we are here", Taro said, facing them. "If you'll kindly step out…"

Neither of the girls even noticed the limo coming to a halt as they'd both been too lost in thought. Taking a quick look at each other, Buffy & Yohko step out of the rear door Taro opened for them. Upon stepping out, their girls were treated to a sight to end all sights: a huge mansion that measured a whopping 70 yards from one end to the other filled their view. The place was twenty yards high to the ceiling, but an extra forty with the five steeple towers on its roof as each was adorned with a pair of rectangular windows & matching curtains. Along the front lawn were several statues of animals & a pair of large fountains splurging water, & a concrete walkway lead to the entrance of the mansion, with a pair of paths splitting towards the left & right that leads to the rear of the place.

Yohko & Buffy stared at the mansion in awe, with the former still finding it unbelievable that she's actually at a place she'd only previously seen before in magazines & television. Buffy was a little more skeptical: the mansion was, to her, a cross between Wayne Manor from the Batman comics to the home of the world's most famous vampire.

It _did _have a rather eerie look to it, especially since the sun's just about gone down, & Buffy couldn't help but to crack a little joke about it.

_Great. From Godzilla to Dracula in one day_, Buffy thought, unable to move due to her seemingly hypnotic glare at the structure before her.

A rather unexpected & rough shove from behind her by Taro brought Buffy out of her trance, causing her to cry out in surprise. The Slayer turned to Yamamoto's servant & stared him square in the eye.

"Hey! _Watch _who the hell you're _pushing_, Lurch!", Buffy barked at Taro, vehemently objecting to being pushed by anyone. Taro fearlessly stared back with his stony face, saying nothing.

"Um, Buffy…who's Lurch?", Yohko asks, looking to Buffy as she wasn't quite sure just whom she meant.

Buffy stared dumbfounded at her friend until she hung it slightly, realizing she had _no idea _of who the fictional character was.

"Never mind", Buffy says in a defeated voice.

_My god, she's _never _seen 'The Addams' Family'?_, Buffy thought. _Don't they _get _that here in this country?_

"This way, girls, if you please", Taro says, pointing his hand forward.

It told the girls to proceed down the pathway which leads right up to the front door. Once they got there, Yohko attempted to knock but Taro informed her it was unnecessary, & that they could simply go right in. Entering the front door, they find themselves in a room that was so large in height & width that if a Tyrannosaurus was still alive, it would be able to stand fully upright without its head ever touching the ceiling, or even the crystal chandeliers dangling from it. Even the large brown metal gavel that hung from a pair of strong cables wouldn't reach the dinosaur's head.

To the left & right sides were swirling stairs that lead to the upper levels of the mansion.

Just ahead of them in the center of the room was a large red thronelike chair, which had its back to the ladies & Taro. Next to him was something that laid completely covered under a large cloth.

"Mr. Yamamoto? Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano are here at your request", Taro says.

"Excellent, Taro. Bring them here to me", Yamamoto instructs his butler, his voice sounding hoarse & old.

"Yes sir."

Taro started to gesture the girls forward with his palm, but Buffy & Yohko were already on their way over to him & got within three yards before the chair Yamamoto sat in swiveled to face them. The girls were shocked to see what was staring back at them: it was an elderly man possibly in his 70s or 80s sitting in the chair, wearing a dark red robe or possibly even a smoking jacket, matching slippers, & a full head of white hair with patches of gray.

_It _can't _be!_, Yohko thought, but the facts were as plain as the nose on her & Buffy's face.

"_Mr. Yamamoto?!_", Buffy & Yohko asked, not disguising the shock in their voices.

"Yes, ladies…this frail old man you now see before you is one & the same", he said.

Another gasp of shock escaped their lips.

"What…what exactly _happened _to you?!", Yohko asked.

"I was struck by a curse – one caused by my own greed & ambition", Yamamoto said.

"How do you mean? We don't understand", Buffy said.

"Permit me to explain", Yamamoto began, turning to Taro, who nodded.

The large servant grabbed hold of the cloth & pulled it away with a simple yank before letting it drop on the floor. Underneath lay a stone slab 18 inches wide, 24 inches long & about 9 inches in height. Sitting within five of the six curved slots were oval-shaped objects with carvings etched into them, each one measuring an impressive 15 inches in height. It resembled something of a stone egg case, which was not so far-fetched as the objects in each perfectly-shaped hole looked very much like an egg, each one with a golden hue.

Only the hole over on the left side next to Yamamoto remained empty, six inches in circumference.

"It all happened on New Year's Day", Yamamoto went on. "One of my archaeologists found these egg-shaped golden stones to add to my collection of priceless antiques, believing they were exactly that – gold. But we couldn't have been farther from the truth: these stones are actually magical artifacts that drained my youth from me when I had first made physical contact with just one of them, turning me into the old man you now see before you. It turned out that one of my team members was actually from one of my rival collectors in Tokyo – of whom I've been in constant conflict with, always fiercely competing with each other to be the top antiques collector. I guess _this _was his way of getting even with me, having outwitted & beating him to every piece of antiquity we've longed for to have in our own personal collections. He finally succeeds in besting my hand, which has been for over six months now."

"He did this to you out of pure _jealousy?!_", Buffy asked as Yamamoto nodded.

"No _wonder _you didn't show your face in public for all this time!", Yohko adds, getting another nod from Takao.

"Because of my rapidly-aged appearance, I couldn't _possibly _show myself to the outside world, forced to do my businesses in complete isolation", he explains.

"Didn't you try to apprehend the creep that did this to you?"

"No, Miss Mano: after losing my youth from the stones, the driver took off with the stones that made me old before my security team could stop him from escaping. In his haste, he & his associates took the stones & hid them all at various parts of the city. My personal security team managed to track down the culprits & locate each of the missing stones & bring them back – all except one."

"You weren't able to find the final stone?"

"No, my team _did _find the final stone, Miss Mano – at the base of Mount Fuji."

"Then why haven't they been able to get it _back _here yet?", Buffy asked.

"Because, Miss Summers, deep within the cave in said area, there is _something _guarding that final stone. Every one of my men that have tried to enter the cave & retrieve it has never gotten out of it alive, sans one man. He couldn't _see _what it was that attacked & killed the others, but whatever it was, it was ferocious – and big. I _need _to get that final stone, ladies: since it took away my youth, there's a chance it could also _restore _it & bring me back to my normal age. _That's _where _you _girls come in."

Buffy had her suspicions about it before but couldn't get any solid proof.

Now that she & Yohko have another piece of the puzzle, it all sank in.

"You _are _the one…who brought me here from my dad's apartment in Los Angeles to Tokyo, Japan!", concluded Buffy. "Am I right?"

"On the first try, Miss Summers", Yamamoto said. "I _do _humbly apologize for the sudden intrusion in your life at your father's home, but I would _never _have done what I did if the situation wasn't so dire: should these stones fall into the wrong hands, the one that has all six can use it to do to countless others what they've done to me, or even wipe out whole populations in moments with the correct words chanted. Imagine a city like Tokyo, with its vast population of far more than 10 million people – gone in an instant. As you can see, I have five of the stones: without all six, they're as inert & harmless as museum exhibits. But I fear that the ones who have prematurely aged me will try to claim them & cause untold death not just here in Tokyo, but _all _the world. This is why it's _essential _that you & Yohko Mano find & bring that final stone back."

"Mr. Yamamoto, we understand the necessity of getting that stone back & all, but…why did you choose Buffy & myself to help you?", Yohko asked. "Don't you have, like, more men from your security team to go retrieve it?"

Takao shook his head.

"I've already lost too many of my team as it is", he explains. "Highly trained as they are, none of them have _your _'special talents' that you possess in order to face the thing guarding that last stone & defeat it. I dare not even risk Taro's life to get it back, having been my loyal servant for years on end. It's why I summoned the both of _you_ here – due to your heritage."

Buffy & Yohko look to each other with confusion on their faces.

"Heritage?", they say in unison at Yamamoto.

"You both are chosen ones in your fields, Buffy Summers, Yohko Mano", Takao says. "Or shall I refer to you both as to what you girls really _are_ – Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter."

Both girls looked as if they'd been struck by lightning, hearing Takao Yamamoto call to them by their hidden/true identities. They face one another in total disbelief.

"_Devil Hunter?!_", Buffy says.

"_Vampire Slayer?!_", Yohko says.

Yohko & Buffy then point to each other while blurting out several sentences in unison.

"You mean to tell me that _you're _an actual…?"

"No _way!_"

"_Get _the fuck outta here! You can't _possibly _be a…!"

"Are you?!"

Not happy with having their true identities revealed & cover blown – especially by a complete stranger – Yohko & Buffy turn their attention back to Takao Yamamoto & simultaneously ask a demanding question.

"And just _how _the hell did _you _know what we are?!"

Yamamoto unleashed a series of violent coughs before resuming.

"I'm afraid that's not important right now, ladies. What _is _important is that you get to & retrieve that sixth & final stone before my condition becomes irreversible. With each day that passes, my vitality slips away, & since it's been a good six months, I don't know how much longer I can last before the inevitable happens. The last of my strength got all used up when I teleported _you _here, Miss Summers. Now I can't even leave this chair, let alone stand up. You're my last hope in restoring my youth. Will you help me?"

Buffy & Yohko faced one another again, this time with worried faces as they were unsure of what to say. What began as a chance encounter ended up as a planned one: the teleporting of Buffy from Los Angeles into Yohko's room in Tokyo, the trip through the city that was annually funded by Takao Yamamoto himself, & now their being brought to the man's own home, seeing him as an old man & hearing him expose their true nature in plain sight.

Even though they were somewhat manipulated, they can't help but to feel for the man.

With Yamamoto's reputation, Yohko & Buffy felt the urge to offer their assistance.

Seeing him in his current state was all the proof they needed.

Plus, they know where to go exactly.

"We _do _want to _help_, Mr. Yamamoto", Yohko says as Buffy nodded. "But there _is _a slight problem: with that last stone near Mount Fuji, going by car will _take_ too long, & by the time we _do _retrieve & bring it back, you might…"

"You needn't worry, Miss Mano", Yamamoto said. "I own three helicopters. Taro will use one to fly you both to your destination as close as he can before you need to go on foot. There's even a few extra supplies you might need to help accomplish your mission in the chopper you'll be taking."

"You seem to have covered all the basics & precautions to prevent the inevitable, Mr. Yamamoto", Buffy adds. "When do you want us to start, as if we didn't need to ask?"

"Immediately", Takao said.

With Mr. Yamamoto's one word, Taro instructs the ladies to follow him to the helipad located on the roof in the rear of the mansion.

Like before, the fate of one man – and possibly the world – rests upon them.

Such is the life of a Devil Hunter _or _a Vampire Slayer.

No matter how much the current ones may hate it.

_Over the skies of Tokyo:_

Once on the roof, Taro uncovers a white Sikorsky S-76 whirlybird beneath a blue tarp before unfurling the blades & locking them into place before boarding. Lifting off the roof, Buffy & Yohko sat in the rear & check the bag of extra supplies Takao mentioned: finding not much except some portable & powerful mini lights with a few extra ninja stars, neither lady found much within.

It wasn't much of a worry: Buffy still had her own throwing stars, wooden stakes & samurai sword to deal with whatever's guarding the final stone, while Yohko had her own sword that could be summoned easily by the V-shaped Demon Ring she wears on her left hand. It was also used for when Yohko needed to change into her 'working clothes': her red, sleeveless outfit with white & yellow linings, with two comma-shaped patterns that came together in a circle on her chest, each half with opposing black & white linings. A pair of golden bracelets on her wrists & ankles finishes her outfit, with red shoes to match.

Upon seeing her transformation for the first time, Buffy was mesmerized by it, even as a Vampire Slayer.

She even joked if she had a spare, stating it would make it easier to go from casual wear to working attire.

Yohko apologized, saying it was strictly for Devil Hunters only.

Both chuckled good-heartedly from each other's statement.

Looking out over the evening skies of Tokyo, Buffy can see the city brightly lit with an illumination that would probably put her hometown of Los Angeles to shame. From their vantage point, they could see Mount Fuji clearly even without any snow on its cone-shaped top. Buffy would be hearing a history lesson from Yohko right about this time as they near their destination to pass the time, but instead she asks her new friend about how she became a Devil Hunter.

With a hefty sigh, Yohko mano relays her origin to Buffy, who listens intently to every detail.

After she was finished, Buffy was flabbergasted by what she heard, especially with _one _particular case giving her a bad case of the willies above all the others.

"This time demon you once fought – Tokima – he actually succeeded in _killing _you, Yohko?", the Slayer asked.

"He did", the Hunter said. "When Tokima took control of Azusa to break the seal that held his power, I've been forced to fight my young apprentice & defeated her, believing she's been freed. As I ran to Azusa to make sure she was, Tokima appeared from out of nowhere & stabbed me through my midsection with one of his claws. Unbeknownst to me, I was then transported by Tokima's power to the time of my first ancestor – Haruka Mano – who was the very first Devil Hunter in our family tree. Using her own Devil Ring, she resurrected me, & together – with several others – we'd fought & defeated Tokima…this time for good. But I _still _get a chill just _thinking _about that moment."

"I can definitely relate, Yohko. I myself went through a similar experience like that just last month."

Yohko's eyes widened by this revelation.

"_You _actually died like _I_ did?", she asked as Buffy nodded.

"That's right", the Slayer explained. "Even worse, it was prophesied: my school librarian & Watcher Rupert Giles along with Angel researched it shortly before I was to face off against the Master, stating that once I do…I would die. It turned out to be mostly true: as I was being lead to the Master's domain, he took me by surprise and, just before he allegedly killed me, said that I was the one that allowed him to be set free upon the world. In his own words he said, 'If I hadn't come, he couldn't go'. That's when I felt his fangs in my neck as the life was drained out of me. _I _wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Angel & classmate Xander Harris, the latter of whom gave me CPR & revived me."

Yohko gave herself a few moments to absorb Buffy's words.

"I guess that's _another _thing we have in common, Buffy", Yohko went on. "Aside from being 'chosen ones', we both literally died & got resurrected – you by one of your classmates, & me by my first ancestor. That's something you don't _get _over too easily, let alone forget."

"No, Yohko…you don't", Buffy said matter of factly.

Neither girl spoke in a detailed description on the experience, having both went through such a horrific ordeal & were lucky enough to be resuscitated back to life.

Of everything the girls went through & enemies they fought, it was the most disturbing of them all.

For the remainder of the trip, Buffy gave Yohko _her _life story, from regular teen to Vampire Slayer.

Yohko found it as eventful as her own.

_Near the base of Mount Fuji:_

Being on the far west of Tokyo, it took over an hour for the helicopter to arrive as it set down from about 200 or so yards away. Once they landed, everyone exited the chopper as the ladies packed the extra gear in her backpack. Taro explained that the cave entrance was in a straightaway path from where they stood, pointing with one hand. As soon as their direction was confirmed, Buffy & Yohko took off into unknown territory as Taro got back in the pilot's seat.

He wished a silent prayer of luck for the girls.

Getting halfway to their destination, Yohko broke the long silence as she brought up a memory from one of the Slayer's earliest adventures.

"I _still _can't believe you went & burned down your old school's gymnasium, Buffy!", she says with enthusiasm. "That's _one _way of getting rid of a whole nest of undead creatures, I must say!"

"Yeah, well, I don't actually _recommend _such an action if it can be helped, Yohko", Buffy says in defense but in something of a cheery mood. "Besides, I don't see how it's any different from killing your own school principal simply because she was a bloodsucking creature that wanted to bring the end of the world as we know it. Though I _am _kind of wondering if you could take care of _my _principal at Sunnydale High in the same manner as you did yours."

"Why? Do you suspect that _your _principal is a vampire or creature of some sort?"

"Let's just say he's a bonafide _dick_…period."

The two girls stare at each other for a moment before they burst out guffawing loudly that echoed for many yards until their guts started to hurt.

"Some of them really _can _be just that, can't they?", Yohko asked.

"With Snyder, you have _no _idea!", Buffy says.

"Sorry, Buffy: as tempting as that might sound, I believe we have a _strict _code against killing anyone from the human race, as it _isn't _part of the job description."

"Worth a shot, I guess."

Sharing a grin, the ladies resume their trek through the area that quickly became more stony the closer they got to the world-famous mountain. Using their portable flashlights, they soon spot a single cave entrance with a fifteen-foot width/height which was stained with blood that dried on the rocks from the summer heat.

Even without Taro's directions, the girls knew it was the right cave, hence the blood spattered.

"There it is, Yohko", Buffy says, drawing her samurai sword & turning to the Devil Hunter. "You all ready to go inside?"

Yohko draws her own sword via her Demon Ring & faced Buffy.

"Why not, Buffy?", she says. "Neither of us is getting any younger, so let's help make Mr. Yamamoto that."

Nodding, they approach & enter the cave with their weapons drawn & lights shining wherever they look, all their senses on highest alert knowing they've stepped into the domain of the thing that killed nearly all of Mr. Yamamoto's security team. Ascending the first fifty feet into the cave was a mostly smooth ride for Yohko & Buffy, with only the occasional slipping on patches of rugged terrain the further they advanced. It also got darker with each few feet they, & only their lights were any source of illumination; were it not for them, they'd be stumbling in near-pitch black.

On top of it all, a foul stench caught their nostrils.

"Christ, what an interesting _smell _we've discovered", Buffy said, reciting a line from Harrison Ford in 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'.

"There's nothing 'interesting' about it, Buffy", Yohko said, trying to ignore the foul stench but finding it difficult. "This whole place smells somewhat like somebody's _toilet_, for crying out loud!"

"I know. But let's just do this as quickly as we can so we can get _out _& _away _from this place…_before _this stench makes _either _of us toss up our lunch."

_Or get _eaten _by whatever's roaming this place_, Buffy adds to herself.

"I heard _that!_", Yohko said.

Braving the strong smell of droppings & urine everywhere, Buffy & Yohko pressed onward into the cave, doing their best not to breathe in the polluted air too much, which proved to be more difficult than either of them imagined it would be, especially the further they go along. Part of them wanted to turn & head back outside again into the fresh air & purchase some kind of breathing apparatus to filter out the stench, but knowing what was at stake – the life of a most famous man in Japan, & possible genocide on a grand scale – made them both tough it out & proceed.

Luckily, Yohko & Buffy were really good at that.

Finally, after what seemed like frolicking forever in the near-darkness, the girls round a corner & step into a room which was nearly as pitch black as the tunnel itself.

Even their small but powerful mini lights couldn't penetrate it too well.

"We'd better shed more light on _this _situation, Buffy", Yohko suggests.

"You're right, Yohko", Buffy replied, taking her backpack off & digging her hand into it before pulling out one of the lights inside. "Let's not wander into an area where we can't _see _anything…"

"Or that _something _can both see & eat _us!_", they finished in unison, grinning at one another.

Pressing a button on the sides, the lights shone even brightly than their mini flashlights, causing Buffy & Yohko to turn away before throwing them into the dark abyss. The lights gave a good illumination of the place, but more were needed to fully reveal what the girls stumbled into: turning on another two, they step inside throw them further to give more revelation in the new room. It gave light to a large dome-shaped room that was sixty to seventy feet all around, & sported two large openings on either side, directly opposite of each other & measuring about twenty-five feet in diameter all around. The ground within the room was not as rocky or jagged as in the tunnel, making it much easier for walking on, possibly even barefoot. Amazingly, the air in the room is strangely & unexplainably fresher & cleaner – more than suitable for inhaling.

But as satisfying as the air in the room was, neither Buffy nor Yohko paid it no mind & concentrated on the task at hand.

Unfortunately for them, they found no trace of their objective anywhere, & Yohko wasn't shy of displaying just how disappointed she is.

"I don't _believe _this, Buffy!", she says. "We get flown way out here to find some magic stone inside a mountain which smells of piss & shit – and _I _for one don't _see _it anyplace! I get the feeling we've been _played_, don't you?"

"Come on, Yohko", Buffy says, trying to defuse her friend's anger/disappointment. "You _saw _Mr. Yamamoto's condition: would he have summoned me halfway around the world for nothing, much less ask for us both to help him restore his stolen youth _and _stop something _before _it gets the chance to become too catastrophic? And let's not forget: you were _eager _to help him get back to normal."

Taking a deep breath before letting it out, Yohko nodded.

"I know, Buffy", she says. "I _do _want to help Mr. Yamamoto, more than anything. It's just…this place is so _big_, I can't even decide on where to _start_. And the longer we _search _for the thing, the _worse _his chances of regaining his youth. I'm scared for him even now."

"I know how you feel, Yohko", Buffy said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "_I'm _worried _and _scared for Takao myself, but we're not getting anything done by standing here worrying if he's going to make it or not. Let's just make as quick a scan of the area as possible & search thoroughly until we see something – _anything _– that fiercely resembles one of the stones at his mansion. We already know _what _they each look like, so it shouldn't be _too _hard to distinguish…"

Buffy stopped in mid-sentence as she caught something from the corner of her eye, turning her head to where she sees what's got her attention. She squinted her eyes for a better look.

"Buffy? What's wrong?", Yohko asked.

"Yohko…over there", Buffy said, pointing to what caught her eye. "Can you see it?"

Looking exactly where the Slayer pointed at, Yohko squinted her own eyes & strained to see but she _does _catch a bit of a glimpse of something shiny buried underneath a small pile of stones, being shone slightly from the four bright lights in the dome. Although it was not by much, its shine was more than enough to pinpoint its location.

"Buffy…_please _tell me _you're _thinking exactly what _I _now am!", Yohko said, facing the Slayer with a smile.

"Yohko…_I'm _thinking I have a dog, & its name is…", Buffy says, smiling to her friend.

"_Bingo!_", they said together as they race off towards the shining object.

_If this _isn't _what I think it is, I'll swallow my own sword!_, Yohko thought.

Immediately the girls started removing stones to uncover the shining object, doing so quickly but carefully. Only a few rocks were needed to be put aside before the object is fully revealed.

What they saw made them smile bigger, knowing they've hit paydirt.

Underneath is _precisely _what they'd hope to find: the sixth stone, golden in color, six inches wide & fifteen inches in height. It laid in all its glory, sending a wave of relief & joy over both girls.

"Still think like we've been played?", Buffy asked with sarcasm & a playful smile.

"Okay, so I put my _foot _in my mouth! Sue me!", Yohko replied in the same manner. "But what does it matter now? 'Mission accomplished', as they say!"

"Almost. We still need to get _out _of this place & back to the chopper, so we can fly back to Mr. Yamamoto, place it with the _other _stones & restore his former self."

"Then let's get a move-on, Buffy. You grab one side & I'll take the other. On the count of three, we'll lift it at the same time & haul it out of here."

Getting on opposite sides of the stone, the girls place their hands firmly underneath it as much as they can, making sure their hold on it was solid.

Nodding to each other, the girls begin the countdown together.

"1…2…3…_lift!_"

Using all their strength, the girls act like living forklifts & heave the stone up off the ground, but to their surprise, they airborne it close to twenty feet before coming back down in their hands.

Devil Hunter & Vampire Slayer look at each other in bewilderment.

"Unbelievable! This thing's much lighter than a fully-developed _watermelon!_", Yohko stated.

"Fancy _that!_", Buffy adds. "But what the hell: it just makes it a lot easier to get it out of here, as this thing can be carried out by only _one _of us."

"Looks like you're elected!", Yohko says, playfully removing her hands _and _burden of carrying it.

The Slayer stared at her friend with a dumbfounded look.

"Pretty sneaky, sis", Buffy replied with a smirk, recalling a line from the classic 'Connect 4' commercials she'd seen as a child. Yohko simply grins, giving Buffy a peace sign with her fingers.

Despite being duped to carry out the burden, she grinned with Yohko in good spirits, & even chuckled with her.

They both stopped when they suddenly heard the sounds of clicking, rocks getting crushed & something like a breathing and/or low growling. It urged the girls to stay silent & listen in as it grew in volume.

"What is that?", Yohko says, whispering.

"I think we're about to meet the thing that killed Mr. Yamamoto's security team", Buffy whispered back, mentally kicking herself for almost forgetting about it.

Quickly but quietly putting the stone down & drawing her sword as Yohko did the same, Buffy stood guard & on full alert for whatever was coming their way.

From Yamamoto's story, they _expected _to run into the creature that devoured most of his team.

What _neither _of them expected was that there were _two _of them: emerging from each tunnel entrances on the left & right, an animal comes out of hiding: the first beast was very much like a modern-day tiger with tan-orange fur, white underside & patches of black fur in some areas. Its toes were fitted with sharp claws, & it was slightly larger than any known jungle cats living today. The most astonishing thing about _this _particular jungle cat was that it sported a pair of large pointed tusks on its upper jaw that measured about 11 inches. The animal that emerged from the second opening in the domed cavern was even bigger, standing taller than either the Vampire Slayer _or _Devil Hunter & measuring to a length of about ten feet. Like its companion, this creature had clawed feet & walked on all fours, but with brown fur & a head that measured a good three feet in length, filled with sharp teeth that can render/tear meat with ease. It looked like an overgrown combo of a wolf & hyena.

The mere sight of these two creatures made Buffy & Yohko gasp in terror, not because there's _two _beasts which killed Yamamoto's men, but because of what kind of beasts they _are_: the tiger-like animal is a Smilodon, the animal which was known as the famed 'Saber-toothed tiger', while the other animal is an Andrewsarchus – hailed as the largest meat-eating mammal to ever walk the Earth.

Both these animals were supposed to have died out thousands/millions of years ago, yet here they are in the flesh – standing in their full glory before the Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter.

Neither could begin to determine as to _how _these supposedly extinct animals can still be alive in the 20th Century: both prehistoric animals let out an angry growl before charging directly at the girls, their mandibles open & eager to get meat in their mouths. Buffy & Yohko thought otherwise: with a 'duck' command from the Slayer, they did so & rolled out of the way just in time as the creatures each took a swipe at their human prey.

Had they been a split-second slower, both Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter would now be dead & headless.

Putting distance between themselves & the two prehistoric mammals, Yohko & Buffy stand side-by-side with their swords extended as the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus also regroup, standing directly in front of the girls' objective as the gesture was made perfectly clear to them both.

_They're safeguarding the stone!_, they say to themselves.

"We don't have _time _for this, Buffy!", Yohko stated. "Every second we _waste _here brings Yamamoto closer to death's door! We need to get that stone, & we need to get it _now!_ His life _depends _on it!"

Before putting her backpack on again, Buffy took out her ninja stars & pocketed them. Reaching in, she pulled out a pair in her free hand & held them up.

"Don't worry, Yohko – we're _not leaving _this place without that stone!", Buffy firmly stated. "I'll be sure to keep these two busy & trained directly onto _me _while _you_ do whatever you can to…"

"I understand! _Do it!_", Yohko replied.

With a rapid flick of her wrist, Buffy flings her stars at the two prehistoric mammals, traveling through the air & spreading like they were guiding missiles in a V-shaped pattern. The two beasts leaped away from the stone in opposite directions, just as the stars Buffy threw hit the spots they were at seconds ago, getting halfway stuck into the ground.

Immediately after the animals cleared the way, Yohko dove for the stone as the Andrewsarchus went after Buffy. The Vampire Slayer jumped over the vicious beast like an Olympic champion, using her sword to cut the creature along its back while she does so as the Andrewsarchus cried out in pain from the unexpected hit on its person. Buffy landed on her feet gracefully & turned to face her prehistoric adversary, who does the same & bares its teeth, snarling in rage from the agony she inflicted upon it.

Staring at each other, Buffy & the Andrewsarchus await eagerly for their next move.

With her partner facing off against the Andrewsarchus, Yohko was left to fend for herself: holding the stone in her left arm, she readies her own sword when the Smilodon does a 180 degree turn & races at the Devil Hunter, its long saber fangs ready to dig into her flesh & devour her whole. Once the saber-tooth gets within range, Yohko dives to her right & uses her sword to cut the animal in its left lower leg, almost reaching the bone beneath its thick flesh. The beast bellowed in pain from the bleeding cut, but even with a bad wound like that, it doesn't stop or drive away the creature from wanting to make a meal of the Devil Hunter.

For the next minute or two, the domed area becomes like a battle arena in a tournament from Ancient Greece: the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus attack Yohko Mano & Buffy Summers with a series of vicious maneuvers, ranging from claws swiping, jaws snapping (some of which came _very _close to putting an actual bite on the two heroines), & mighty leaps which shook the ground with every landing. The Devil Hunter & Vampire Slayer were barely able to dodge/avoid each attack by these two carnivorous prehistoric mammals, their heightened reflexes saving them from serious harm, but each knew they couldn't hold our forever, especially with two of the lights being stepped upon & decreasing their visibility.

In one way or another, they could tell they won't last much longer at the rate their prehistoric adversaries keep on coming at them.

Dodging another head removal by a bite from above, Yohko Mano & Buffy Summers keep a close eye on the two carnivores as they back up into the center of the area, their backs to one another but never taking their eyes off of either creature.

Reunited, the Devil Hunter supplies the Vampire Slayer with the good & bad news.

"I still have the stone, Buffy, but these two monsters have us _pinned_ in this room!", she says. "No matter _what _we do, they're not _letting _us _leave_…and we _both _know _why!_"

"You're right, Yohko!", Buffy said. "They're _guarding_ that thing, & as long as we _have _it in our possession, we _won't _be saying goodbye to this place, & the _wounds _we inflict on them only make them _more _determined to stop us!"

"Then let's _end _this…before _we _end up in their stomachs, because it looks to me like they're going to come _after _us again!"

"Good…_let _them."

"Huh?"

Buffy tilts her head slightly to the left, catching a glimpse of Yohko from the corner of her eye, smiling.

"Trust me", she says.

Yohko caught Buffy & her expression from her right. Seeing it, the Devil Hunter can tell her partner has a plan up her sleeve & nods her approval, smiling herself.

Turning their gazes back to the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus, the girls could see them both lowering themselves as if to take a nap, but the girls knew better: it was only the prelude to a planned attack of their own.

Exactly what Buffy expected of them, followed by Yohko.

Ignoring the pain of their wounds, the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus make their move: using all the strength they could muster from their legs, both animals leap into the air with their claws extended & mouths of sharp teeth opened wide, ready to tear their small but wily prey asunder.

"_Now!_", Buffy & Yohko said in unison, leaping away in opposite directions. Both creatures saw what their prey had done but were too late to stop the inevitable: with the sound of a baseball bat hitting a ball into the air, the beasts ram their skulls into each other & plummet to earth in a tumble of limbs, hitting the spot their prey was seconds ago.

Their impact shook the area, feeling like a slight earthquake had hit.

Except for quick, shallow breathing from them both, the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus lay unmoving on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Looking around, Yohko doesn't see her friend anywhere.

"Buffy?", she called out.

Said person popped up from behind both animals & gave her a hand sign, indicating that she was okay.

Carefully approaching the Smilodon & Andrewsarchus, Buffy checked their thick necks for a pulse with her free hand while holding her sword in the other, ready to stab & kill if she sees any movement from them aside the breathing both were making. Yohko herself pointed her own weapon in case either or both were playing possum.

A shake of Buffy's head says they weren't.

"These two are _definitely _out for the count, Yohko", the Slayer said before doing a flip over their heads & going over to Yohko. "_Now _we can call this 'mission accomplished'."

"When we're back at Mr. Yamamoto's mansion with this stone & restore his youth, _then _I'll share that sentiment", Yohko said, gesturing to the stone in her hand. "Let's get _out _of this place before our two playmates wake up."

"And before something _else _decides to come in & think of us as meals on two legs. So…shall we?"

"After you."

Withdrawing her sword back into her Demon Ring, Yohko followed Buffy out of the domed area within Mount Fuji, taking in a deep breath & holding it in once they reached the tunnel to avoid the stench of animal droppings & urine as they retrace their footsteps to exit the world-famous mountain.

Once they exit the mountain, Buffy & Yohko let out their breath & inhale a fresh batch of summer air into their lungs, feeling better & relieved to be out of an area with a horrible smell & away from the occupants that made it.

Phase one of the operation was complete.

Now it was time for the next phase: getting the stone back to Mr. Yamamoto, & pray it won't be too late.

_At the chopper:_

Taro sat patiently in the pilot's seat, waiting for Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano to return with their prize to head back over to his master & restore him to what he used to be. He sat in silence & stared directly ahead to where the two girls took off at, never taking his eyes off them even when they were no longer in sight. During his silent wait, Taro did have his doubts that Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano would fail in their task because they were both young, with hardly much experience. But after hearing about their stories on how they were able to defeat such evil, vicious creatures in a short amount of time – from a time demon to a master vampire – made them the best candidates to succeed where all others have failed.

And in case Buffy & Yohko _should _fail like they did, neither Taro nor his boss were worried.

There were plenty of fish in the sea, as it is often said.

For close to an hour, Taro saw no sign of the girls anywhere.

Then, just as he was starting to give up/lose all hope, he caught the girls running towards him as if the very devil was chasing them. Upon sight of both girls – _and _that they actually have the sixth & final stone – a great wave of joy flows through Taro as he started the engines as the helicopter blades began twirling slowly before they've became a blurring movement moments later. The helicopter was ready to take off any moment when Buffy & Yohko opened the side door & climbed in with their prize.

"Phase one is _complete_, Taro!", Yohko said, placing the stone at her feet.

"Now…get us _away _from here!", Buffy adds.

"Strap in, ladies!", Taro said as both girls buckled up just as the chopper lifted into the air, turning around as its nose faced east before it took off in said direction, heading back for Tokyo.

Back at the entrance on Mount Fuji, a figure – standing fourteen feet tall – watches as the helicopter disappeared from view. Too late to catch it now, it lets out a soft angry growl before going back inside the mountain.

_Takao Yamamoto's mansion:_

It took a full hour for the helicopter to get back to Mr. Yamamoto's mansion before Taro set it down again. But he doesn't land it upon the roof's helipad this time: instead, he places it down upon the front lawn of the property over on a wide area of space that had nothing except grass underneath. Buffy slid open the door a second or two before its struts touched terra firma, landing gracefully on her feet. Once it does land safely, Yohko handed her the stone before getting out herself & landing beside the Slayer.

"Let's get this thing inside, Buffy!", Yohko said.

"Right!", Buffy said as both ladies raced for the mansion's front entrance with the anxiousness of children rushing downstairs to open their presents on Christmas morning.

Shutting all systems down, Taro himself got out of the helicopter & headed inside to his master.

Crashing through the main doors, Buffy & Yohko see Takao Yamamoto still sitting in his chair at the center of the room, like they expected. What they _didn't _expect was that the multi-billionaire was looking worse for wear as his head was sagging to his chest, looking like he might be asleep…or worse.

"_Mr. Yamamoto!_", Buffy & Yohko cried, fearing they were too late.

Their cry urged Takao to awaken abruptly, & he opened his eyes to see the girls returned with what he hoped to see with them – the sixth & final stone that unjustly took his youth.

Seeing their success gave Yamamoto a sudden surge of renewed strength, & he smiled.

"You're both back!", he said. "_And _you have what I _hoped_ for! Good work…both of you!"

"Not at all, Mr. Yamamoto!", Yohko says in a triumphant tone. "Now…what say we get you _out _of that frail old body you've been cursed with?"

"Believe me, my dear, I would like nothing better. Miss Summers?"

Nodding, Buffy approached the slab where the other stones were placed at, with Yohko following behind. Placing the stone into the empty hole, Buffy made sure the thing stood completely erect like the others. When she finished, the slab looked like a full carton of a half-dozen eggs in the supermarket.

Seeing her complete her task, Takao smiled & nodded his approval.

"Excellent work, both of you", he said. "And now…we can begin the process."

"Are you sure you can remember the words correctly to activate them, Mr. Yamamoto?", Buffy asks.

"Every single one, Miss Summers. Now please get yourselves to a safe distance while I begin the process."

Gesturing with her head to Yohko, both girls comply with Yamamoto's request as Taro comes into the mansion but were not acknowledged by the girls: they were too busy watching Yamamoto from the front of his chair as they stay a distance of twelve feet from where he was. With the stones all in place, Takao Yamamoto began ranting orally in a language that was totally alien to the Hunter & Slayer. About thirty to forty seconds after he started, the stones all began glowing simultaneously in a luminous gold, nearly lighting the entire room within. Suddenly & without warning, Takao Yamamoto gets struck by a series of lightning bolts from the stones that surround his body in a golden aura, covering him from head to toe, causing him to emit a low grunt.

"Mr. Yamamoto!", Buffy & Yohko call to him.

"I-I'm all right!", he assured them. "It's _working_, ladies! I can actually _feel _my vitality & youth returning to me! It shouldn't be too long now before it _all _comes back, & _then_…"

During his statement, Yamamoto could feel himself unravel as his own flesh becomes tighter & smoother, every wrinkle all over his body vanishing before everyone's eyes. Feeling the strength in his legs also return, Yamamoto can now stand on his own two feet in a posture like he's feeling the sun's warmth for the first time in a dry spell that's all but ended. Atop his head, the hairs change from white & gray to jet black & in a demeanor that was much more suitable for his newfound age. Over a minute goes by before the stones' glow diminishes, as does the aura surrounding Takao. The wealthy playboy billionaire felt his own face devoid of wrinkles with his hands, finding not a single one.

To make sure, he takes out a small mirror from his coat pocket & peers into it.

He was pleased beyond words: what was once an elderly, frail old man in now a suave & young one standing in its place. A big smile grew from his mouth.

"It's _done_, ladies – I'm _young _again!", Takao says, his voice even sounding young as he pockets his mirror. "My most _heartfelt _thanks to you both! Because of you, I've regained what I thought I'd _never_…huh?"

Buffy & Yohko weren't listening to his words: they were too busy making googly-eyes at the now-young (& _very _handsome) Takao Yamamoto, holding their hands together as if in prayer & staring at him as though his newfangled youth had hypnotized them both.

_What an absolute _hunk_!_, Yohko thought.

_Angel, I love you & all, but you've got _nothing _on _this _guy!_, Buffy thought.

Yamamoto smiled in good spirits due to his youth restored from the stones.

"Um, Miss Summers, Miss Mano, in total gratitude for giving me my youth back – _and _quite possibly saving the world from extinction – there's something I'd like to show you both, if I may", he says.

"_Please _show us, Mr. Yamamoto!", Buffy & Yohko say in a dreamy voice, their faces still having that google look on them.

Seeing as to how the girls remained in their hypnotized & dreamy state with their lovesick stances at him struck Mr. Yamamoto as so funny, the playboy billionaire began chuckling lightly before bursting out with boisterous & good-natured laughter; he laughed so hard that he fell back into his chair, his head tilted back as well.

Takao continued laughing out loud when he lifted his head upright again, showing his pearly white teeth – which have now become pointed & razor-sharp.

Not only that, his laughing turned from joyful to maniacal.

And his eyes didn't look human anymore…they were more _reptilian_.

Noticing these unexpected changes, Buffy & Yohko finally snap out of their dreamy states, realizing something has just gone horribly wrong as Takao Yamamoto was now cackling madly like a superheroes' arch-nemesis.

They couldn't have been more right: the six stones begin glowing again after Yamamoto had once more chanted in that same strange language, his voice now in a more malevolent tone as his body was again bathed within that golden aura when the stones' power struck him. Just like before, he undergoes a transformation but in a much different way: beginning with the swelling of his limbs, he starts to grow exponentially before the startled eyes of Buffy & Yohko as Yamamoto's skin converts to an olive-green tint. The man tears off his robe as his size expands in conjunction with his arms, legs & head. During the metamorphosis, Takao grows more muscular as two of his fingers & toes on each hand & foot merge as one, ending in sharp claws like the rest. A reptilian tail emerged from his rear, with four sharp spikes sticking up near its tip. His head/face expands & morphs as his own jaws stretch forward & elongate, forming a pair of powerful mandibles filled with sharp teeth. Finishing off the transformation are two rows of flat, diamond-shaped dorsal plates running down his back beginning from the rear of his head to halfway down his tail. When all was said & done, Takao Yamamoto was converted into something of a fourteen-foot-tall humanoid dinosaur – a combo of the T-Rex from 'Jurassic Park' & a Stegosaurus, who stood upright just as Godzilla himself does in the movies.

"At _last!_", the creature rejoiced as the aura surrounding it & the stones' glow diminishes. "After _all_ these many _millions _of years of imprisonment in that weak & frail human body…I. Am. Finally. _Free!_"

The humanoid dinosaur that was once Takao Yamamoto unleashed another maniacal laugh as Buffy & Yohko witness in disbelief to horrifying transformation of the playboy billionaire from human to creature – if that's even the _real _Takao Yamamoto.

"Oh my _God! _Who in the hell are _you?!_", Buffy demanded, unsheathing her samurai sword.

"And what did you _do _to Mr. Yamamoto – the _real _Mr. Yamamoto?!", Yohko equally demanded, preparing her own sword.

"My name is Astaroth", the creature replied, eyeing the girls. "I am the leader of a now-extinct race of dinosaur people called the Manosaurs, who lived during the late Cretaceous with our 'larger relatives'. And as for the _real _Takao Yamamoto – I'm afraid he's taken a permanent vacation, one that began in January."

The realization sinks in, & the puzzle pieces finally fit to form the big picture.

"You reptilian son of a _bitch!_", Yohko spat. "You all but _murdered _the real Takao Yamamoto & assumed his identity for all this time! No _wonder _he hasn't been seen in all these months!"

"You had all this _planned_ for that amount of time, didn't you?!", Buffy adds. "Bringing me here to Tokyo from my room in Los Angeles, arriving in Yohko's, asking us here to your mansion from the annual tour her school does every year just before going inside Mount Fuji to retrieve that final stone – _that's _what this is all about, isn't it?! That goddamned _stone!_"

"You girls are _most _observant, Buffy Summers, Yohko Mano", Astaroth said, grinning. "But I'm afraid there's a lot _more _to this dilemma than either of you might think: since the late Cretaceous, shortly before the great dying of our larger brethren, my people & I have been engaged in brutal war against _another _race of giant humanoid creatures – the Manommals – lead by my most hated enemy, Malgamer. Our savage, unrelenting battles have raged for many millions of years, most of them taking place beneath the Earth & shielded from the animals living topside. From the fall of the dinosaurs topside & the rise of the mammals that took their place, neither side gained any advantage over the other. But one day, when we evolved to the point where we could actually speak & think like humans, I've instructed my minions to create something that could help us _conquer_ Malgamer & his band once & for all: these six stones, with such powerful magic contained within, would give us the advantage to _bury_ our hated enemies for good. At first, we thought we were gaining the upper hand over those accursed Manommals. But we were wrong: in a last-ditch effort, Malgamer turned the tide against us, & took possession of the stones. Being evolved as I & my people were, he used the very stones _we'd _created to use _against _us, turning most of my finest warriors into piles of bones. I thought _I _would be joining them, but instead, Malgamer turned me into a frail, weak _human _– the same one _you _both saw when you girls first laid eyes upon me earlier. Without my army, I was all but defeated & had to retreat, lest I share the fate of all my comrades. I retreated topside, where I lived as one of the very first humans on the planet. When the Ice Age came, I froze in a sheet of ice & remained there until that period in time was no more & thawed, enabling me to begin my frantic search for the stones & undo the damage that Malgamer did. For thousands of years, I've managed to locate & recover five of them on my own…which brings us to the here & now."

"Those men you sent over to Mount Fuji…you _knew _they'd be killed!", Yohko says. "No matter how many of Yamamoto's men you sent to retrieve the final stone, _none _of them had the skill to beat those two animals & retrieve it! _That's _why you wanted Buffy & myself to get it for you!"

"And once again, I want to _thank _you girls for doing a chore neither I nor any of Yamamoto's men had no chance in achieving. I'd _still _be a pathetic, weak human were it not for you girls."

Astaroth chuckled in good spirits as Yohko bared her teeth in rage. She wanted nothing better than to slice him up into bite-sized pieces.

Yohko was on the verge of leaping into battle, but Buffy placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"You said there was _more _to this than just restoring your original body, Astaroth!", Buffy said. "What _else _are you planning with these stones? What's the _point _of using _us _like Chess pieces to get your ugly mitts on these damned things?!"

"The _point_, my dear Miss Summers, is _this!_", Astaroth explains. "You humans don't _deserve _to be the main rulers of this planet: in the thousands of years I've wandered it to locate the stones, I've witnessed the most brutal & destructive battles you lowly life forms have ever gotten yourselves into, from the bloody Battle of Thermopylae in Ancient Greece, the Muslim Conquest of Persia, this country's invasions of Korea, America's Revolutionary & Civil Wars, both World Wars, the Korean war, & the Gulf War not too long ago! You humans do _nothing _to each other but _kill _in order to reign supreme & gain power for yourselves! Year after year they get fought with little to gain, & now you've created weapons that can destroy entire _cities _with the mere push of a button! Soon, you'll all but _wipe_ each other out, leaving the animals only a _husk _of a world to live in! But now that I have all six stones, I can easily _remedy _that problem: not only will I resurrect my people, I will _also _be doing the same with the dinosaurs themselves, so that both they _and_ my people may once again inherit the Earth – _this _time for _all _time! In other words…Checkmate!"

"Oh, really?", Yohko says. "And what's to become of _us _once you've accomplished your task – as if we didn't actually need to guess?!"

Astaroth chuckled before answering.

"What else? You shall become our cattle to feed upon. At least you weak humans will be of _some _use to us."

Buffy & Yohko get into battle positions, raising their swords.

"If you believe the human race _is _weak, Astaroth, then you don't _know _us as a species very well!", said the Slayer. "Why don't we _both_ give you a free sample of how feisty & tenacious we humans can _really _be?!"

"Curious as I am to find out the extent of a Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter's power, I have _other _plans to carry out at the moment", Astaroth says, his gaze looking past the girls & gesturing with his hand. "Now, Talon, if you would be so kind…"

Neither Buffy nor Yohko were deterred or impressed by the saurian's sudden cool demeanor, much less distracted in the slightest: they both deduced it was to get them to drop their guard in order for Astaroth to gain the upper hand.

They both smirked & let out a slight laugh.

"Come _on_, Astaroth!", Yohko scoffs. "Like either of us is going to fall for _that _old trick! You'll have to do better than _that _to get the drop on _us!_"

"She's _right_, Astaroth!", Buffy adds. "Exactly _how_ fucking stupid do you _really _think we…are?"

A sudden though occurred to Buffy as she was speaking, which also caught on with Yohko: for the whole time they witnessed Astaroth's conversion from old man to humanoid dinosaur, they've completely forgotten about his butler Taro. And if _Astaroth _was a dinosaur trapped inside a human body for millions of years, then it must _also _mean that Taro _himself_ is…

It seemed like Buffy & Yohko _were _going to fall for the 'old trick' after all!

When they _do _glance behind them, the girls each get a second-lasting glimpse of a large fist coming at them – right before they get clobbered & knocked out, their visions muddling white before going pitch black as they collapse to the floor unconscious, lying on their backs & unmoving.

Like Buffy & Yohko predicted, Taro himself _is _a Manosaur in disguise as Astaroth had been, & goes by the name of Talon. He was a _giant _creature, standing about six feet taller than Astaroth at a whopping twenty feet in height, with light tan flesh & was even bulkier but no less slower in movement. His own four fingers & toes on each hand & foot were equipped with claws that could tear even the toughest hides. His head was that of a Styracosaurus', with a frill in the back of his head that was adorned with three pointed spikes on each side. A singular horn protruded from above his nostrils, & his mouth was filled with sharp teeth. On his back was a flexible but very sturdy & protective shell that looks like it could take the blast from a grenade & wouldn't even faze him in the slightest. His tail – longer than his main body – ended with a heavy mass of bone like that of an Ankylosaurus', which he can use in the same manner as the tank-like dinosaur once did.

He'd be an impressive sight to Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano – _if _they were conscious.

Astaroth approached & stared down at the unmoving forms of the Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter.

Oddly enough, he felt a pinch of remorse for them – but _only _a pinch.

"Well…I _tried _to warn them", Astaroth says, sharing a chuckle with Talon.

"I cannot _wait _for them to see the destruction of their species once we retake our home, Master", Talon said in a low, grave-like voice. "It will be _delicious _to see their despair at all the carnage we'll be causing, knowing they'd be all but _powerless _to prevent any of it."

"I _was _thinking of allowing them to witness the downfall of the human race once we resurrect ours with the power of the stones – _especially _since they _did _assist in getting us the final one", Astaroth said. "But we daren't _risk _it: Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano are _far _too _dangerous _to live – even as mere humans. Our plans are _much _too important for these two to throw a monkey wrench in the works. We _must _make sure they cannot _attempt _such a feat."

Talon crouched down & reached out with his large hands & grabbed the two fallen teenage heroines & picked up each one with ease like a child would pick up her dolls.

"It is but a _small _problem which I can _easily _rectify, Master", Talon says as the huge humanoid saurian opens his toothy maw, ready to take a literal bite out of the girls' heads.

Only a hand placed on Talon's arm stops the creature from carrying out his cannibalism.

"Ah, my old friend Talon", Astaroth says, removing his hand. "As much as I _loathe _to deprive you of such two fine delicacies, it's been quite some time since our 'little pet' was last fed, & I have a strong feeling that he is frantic with hunger even as we speak."

Talon _was _a little taken aback: he never liked being denied a meal, no matter how big or small his catch. But ever since the day Astaroth made him his second-in-command all those eons ago during their conflict with the Manommals, he has followed his orders to the letter & never questioned them or him once.

Talon will keep doing so until the end of time if he has to.

"You mean…?", Talon started to say.

"Yes indeed", Astaroth said. "Be so kind as to take them to…the pit."

A big smile came upon Talon's face from his master's suggestion: he's always enjoyed seeing their 'pet' devour & eat useless humans with the greatest of satisfaction, even when he was still stuck as one. He only regrets that he won't be able to witness Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano meet the same fate as the others have, due to the fact that he & his master must prepare the resurrection spell from the stones that will bring back their dinosaurian brethren.

But knowing that neither the Vampire Slayer nor the Devil Hunter would interfere in their plans, it was worth the sacrifice.

Their smiles grew at that very thought.

With a nod of satisfaction & approval, Talon heads for his destination.

Very soon, their time will be at hand.

Astaroth & Talon can hardly wait.

**CHAPTER VI**

_National Museum of Nature & Science, corner of Ueno Park, midnight:_

The museum was closed & locked tight, with only the flashlights of the security guards to find their way around the place were present as they begin their night shifts & make their rounds within the premises & to keep the exhibitions safe from would-be thieves thinking of snatching an artifact & selling it for a high price.

An hour into their shift was uneventful, & each guard hoped it will stay that way like it usually is.

In an instant, their hopes for a peaceful/uneventful night was soon dashed as a fizzing noise filled the interior of the museum, followed by strange flashes of light that could be seen even from two rooms down. Thinking it was one of the lights going on the fritz, three of the security guards raced to check out what the disturbance inside the building was, hoping it wasn't too serious.

Each were in for a big surprise, with an emphasis on the 'big' part. Once they arrive in the 'Navigators on History of Earth' area on the first floor, the guards found a most unusual sight: the Allosaurus skeleton on display was bathed in a sparkling aura of light. From within this aura surrounding it, the guards could see internal organs forming inside the skeleton, followed by muscle tissue & then finally flesh in a grayish hue color with purple stripes. The guards stood with trepidation, seeing something that's been dead for millions of years suddenly get resurrected with living tissue.

It got even _more _frightening when the Allosaurus' eyes opened abruptly & turned to the three guards watching it with their own eyes, which were agape as much as they could be.

Only when the Allosaurus roared in the room did the men break out of their trance & did the first sensible thing.

They turned & ran.

None of them got very far: the Allosaurus ran after & gobbled them up first in two men on the first attack, quickly followed by the last remaining guard. Each of them screamed as they were caught in its maw, swallowed & digested.

The Allosaurus roared triumphantly, having eaten its first meal since its resuscitation into the 20th Century.

It clamors for more, as do the _other _dinosaur skeletons within the museum: from the upper 3rd Floor where the skeleton of the Plesiosaur called Futabasaurus to the B1 level where the other skeletons resided (from the Triceratops & Stegosaurus to the Deinonychus & Tyrannosaurus) received the same treatment as the Allosaurus on the main floor.

Freed from captivity of being on display as bones, these animals took advantage & raced to find the exit of this unearthly place they've awakened into, killing/consuming terrified guards along the way.

Causing massive devastation to the museum's interior, the newly-resurrected dinosaurs make their way onto the streets of Tokyo.

Unsuspecting people screamed & ran for their lives, with many getting trampled on/eaten by the behemoths.

_Takao Yamamoto's mansion:_

Once Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano were dealt with & put in their place, Talon returned to his master Astaroth, who was chanting with the six stones now in his possession to summon the spell that will bring their larger relatives back to the land of the living. The Manosaur leader was chanting for several minutes before a toothy grin came upon his reptilian face.

"I take it everything's going well, Master?", Talon asked.

"Yes, old friend", Astaroth replied. "With the magic of the stones coursing through me, I can actually _feel _our 'extinct relatives' receiving new life into their bones, & several of them are already prowling the city streets, searching for human prey to devour on a whim. Every complete dinosaur skeleton within the vicinity of Tokyo are all coming to life, & in a matter of hours, the magic will soon spread throughout the _rest _of Japan, followed by the _world _soon after!"

"And the _only ones _with any chance of stopping us will soon be sharing the fate of their species – that is, if they haven't already."

Astaroth & Talon chuckle in good spirits as they picture Buffy & Yohko torn asunder & in the stomach of their pet they now have in the pit.

Their conjuring goes as planned.

_Tokyo High School:_

While everyone else was enjoying a day all over the city, Arashi & Juno were beginning their punishment after harassing a pair of American girls, only to get defeated by Buffy & Yohko before getting escorted off the premises. As an additional punishment for their juvenile delinquency, they both need to perform community service until the start of the new school year. At the school, they were scheduled to clean up anything that doesn't grow & dispose of it in the nearby trash. A lone security guard kept watch on the two troublemakers, getting fiery looks from both students & even a potty-mouthed word or two thrown at him.

For their fresh attitude, they've been instructed to go until 12:30 a.m. before they could go home.

Neither of them said anything else since.

It was now 12:15 in the morning, & the guard gave them a final notice.

"Fifteen minutes more, gentlemen, & _then _you can go home!", he firmly stated. "But you _better _be here bright & early later this morning! Remember: you bail out at any time during your community service, & your sentence will be extended right until Christmas! Understand?"

Arashi & Juno simply stare at him with murderous intent.

"Don't look at me like that, punks!", the guard snapped. "_I _don't want to be here any more than you do, so finish up so that we can _all _go home!"

The guard went inside the school, leaving the two delinquents alone on the schoolyard.

"Just _wait _until I get my hands on that Yohko Mano bitch – _and _her American friend that she calls 'Buffy'!", said Arashi with vehemence.

"Yeah, Arashi!", Juno says. "Who do they think they _are _– pushing _us _around like that?! What I wouldn't do to get my hands around their throats & _crush _the life out of them…and I know _just _how to do that!"

"You do?", Arashi wondered, being all ears. "How?"

"I managed to take a look at her home address while they were filling out papers in the main office. I know _exactly _where she lives at, & I _also _know that both her mother & grandmother live there."

Sinister grins grew on their faces.

"Good going, Juno", Arashi said. "We'll start taking revenge on Yohko by doing so with the old folks first. And afterwards we'll…"

A sound caught Arashi's ears as he listened intently for it, with Juno catching it himself.

Juno asked what was wrong but was silenced by a gesture of his hand before he listened intently himself.

"You _hear _that?", Arashi asks.

"I certainly do, Arashi", Juno said. "Sounds like people screaming about something. But what?"

Both students listen for several more moments, unsure of the cause of the hollering in fear.

Suddenly, the sound of wings flapping caught their attention as both boys looked up to see a most unusual sight – one that was heading directly for them, its toothy maw opened wide.

Arashi & Juno scream in terror as loud as they could.

From inside the school, the lone guard heard the boys hollering before their cried got abruptly cut off.

He first thought of ignoring it, believing it to be some sort of prank the boys were playing.

But he immediately dismissed it when he heard them crying out 'help' several times before they ceased.

Drawing his pistol & flashlight, the guard raced outside to where the boys were at & was greeted by a horrible sight: Arashi & Juno were lying on the ground in puddles of their own blood as some _thing _killed them. It was small but deadly-looking, with a solid green-colored flesh hue & a pair of wings which measured 4.6 feet wide attached to a 3.3-foot-tall body, having a long tail in the rear. Its head was elongated, with two different types of sharp teeth within its reptilian maw.

Both its teeth & claws were stained with the boys' blood, & pieces of flesh hung from its lower jaw.

The guard could hardly believe what he is now seeing: the creature is a Dimorphodon, a pterosaur from the early Jurassic Period.

_What the hell…?_, he thought, standing like a statue & staring at the flying creature that just killed the two boys.

The Dimorphodon turned & stared back at the guard, not looking too happy of having its meal interrupted.

Bellowing an angry screech from its mouth, the creature spread its wings & took off from the boys' corpses as it now went after the guard. The man remembered he had his gun in hand, & thus he started firing his weapon at the flying creature, striking it first in the mouth before it fell onto its back, squirming like a fish that's been caught & brought on deck.

The guard continued shooting the Dimorphodon repeatedly until its body – filled with bleeding holes – twitched & lay silent on the ground.

Satisfied with his victory, he smiled.

"_Gotcha_, you flying lizard!", he cried before letting out a small laugh.

A growling sound from behind him caused the guard to turn around – and become face-to-face with the Allosaurus that was resurrected at the museum before escaping out into the city. The large reptile stared down at the guard, licking its lips with its tongue.

"oh, shit", the man said.

Raising his gun as fast as he can, the guard aimed his weapon at the Allosaurus & unloaded the rest of the clip into it. The Allosaurus roared once before reaching out & grabbing the man in its maw, swallowing him whole.

The guard screamed the entire time.

_Elsewhere in Tokyo:_

It was like the dinosaur movies of the early-mid 1950s came alive again, but in a disastrous way: in the Shinjuku District, the Stegosaurus, Triceratops & Tyrannosaurus were causing massive havoc everywhere like miniature versions of Godzilla. The Stegosaurus was engaged in battle with police officers that fired their guns at the plated beast, but they didn't even slow them down & the animal swiped its spiked tail at a nearby officer, striking his face that sent an eyeball flying & leaving his skull half-exposed. The man wandered about frantically & howled in agony until the Triceratops rushed in & trampled him to death before impaling its nasal horn into another policeman, puncturing through his chest & out his back before tossing him away & resuming its charge. Cars in its path were crushed underfoot like tin cans.

Over in another part of Shinjuku, the Tyrannosaurus frightened the local residents as they scrambled to escape its fury. Cars crashed into each other in their panic, sending drivers & even passengers flying through the air & hitting the ground where the T-Rex was romping & stomping; some were stepped on like bugs underneath its feet, while others were caught in its jaws & gobbled up like tidbits.

A motorcyclist who saw the carnage after making a turn around the block couldn't stop in time, thus hitting a parked car as the collision totaled his ride & sent him airborne from the momentum. Like a prized catcher in the outfield of a baseball game, the Tyrannosaurus snatched the cyclist in mid-air & bit down on him.

Even with his helmet on & face visor down, the man screamed boisterously as he felt the life literally get crushed out of him.

Turning towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the Tyrannosaurus went to feast on more scared people.

Near the Hanzomon Kids' Pond in the Chiyoda District, a woman & her child were running away from a flying reptile with gray flesh, large fish-like eyes & a very long beak filled with sharp teeth that were like bristles on a comb. This creature – the Ctenochasma, from the late Jurassic – chased the woman & her young daughter for many blocks as it toyed with them until after they crossed the bridge & knocked them down before doing a complete circle in the air & headed right back at them again, to which there would be no escape.

All the mother & her daughter can do is watch as death gets closer.

The Ctenochasma opened its jaws wide.

From behind, the thing was struck by a large object as it diverted its path away from the woman & child, crashing fourteen feet from its intended target. The object – a blue-haired young girl in a red-&-white outfit & holding a spear – drove her weapon deep into the Ctenochasma's back, drawing its blood & causing it to screech in pain as the winged reptile tried snatching at the girl – Azusa Kanzaki – with its toothed beak. Azusa fought back with her spear, slicing at its beak & stabbing it in the back while staying clear of its teeth & claws.

After a brief but vicious struggle, the Ctenochasma collapsed & died when Azusa drove her spear through its neck just behind its head. A quick spasmatic jerk of its body, & it was truly dead.

Azusa turned to the mother & daughter.

"Are you & your child okay, ma'am?", she asked.

Unable to answer, she only nodded as Azusa felt relieved.

"Quick – get yourselves off the streets until this crisis is resolved!", Azusa instructed her as the woman took off with her child in tow.

"Quite a nice save…if we do say so ourselves", said a new female voice, putting Azusa on her guard.

Once the mother & daughter were out of sight, Azusa was joined by two new presences: the first looked very much like Yohko but wore a black Devil Hunter dress instead of red, & her eyes were more narrowed. Her brown hair was in a lighter shade than Yohko's, & she wielded a whip instead of a sword, its handle having a curved blade. Her younger apprentice was nearly an exact look-alike of Azusa, & was armed with multiple blades along with a spear. Her outfit was a solid blue, with her hair being auburn.

Azusa recalled these two from what Yohko & Madoka once mentioned to her about them.

She just never thought she'd meet either or both in the flesh.

"Ayako Mano! And Azusa #2!", the original said.

"In person!", Azusa #2 said. "Granny Chiaki mentioned to Ayako & myself that there were powerful magic forces at work this evening, thus we went to check it out! We just never thought it'd be involving _dinosaurs _running amok on the streets!"

"Imagine _my _surprise: grandmother Madoka felt strong magic brewing in the city, & I went to investigate when _I_ see extinct lizards running rampant!"

"Well, despite the circumstances, it's good to finally meet the _original _Azusa! Working solo tonight? I wonder where _Yohko _is!"

"That's a good question, Azusa #2", Ayako said. "Where _is _Yohko anyway? You & her are usually an inseparable pair. I wouldn't think for a _minute _thatshe'd be sitting _this _crisis out – not that _her _grandmother would _let _her."

"That's just _it_, Ayako!", the original Azusa says. "I haven't seen her since she & her new friend Buffy Summers were both taken over to…"

A thought came into Azusa's mind, & she made something of a connection that would piece everything together.

Both Ayako & Azusa #2 had other things on their minds, such as Yohko's 'new friend'.

"Who's Buffy Summers?", they both said in unison.

None of the trio of Devil Hunters could delve deeper into their independent thoughts: the sounds of growling had caught their attention as a pair of new dinosaurs emerged from behind a grove of brush, putting each one on full alert. The first new dinosaur was man-sized with long forearms, legs with feet that had a large sickle claw on each, stiff tail & head that was lighter due to its head being more robust, different from the Velociraptor. The second new dinosaur is a more muscularly-built animal, also with large claws on its feet but even longer claws on each of its forearms that were over a foot long. Its flesh was a dark charcoal gray, with white underside & red patches atop its head.

_A Deinonychus!_, Azusa thought of the one with the sickle claw on its foot.

_A Therizinosaurus!_, Ayako Mano & Azusa #2 thought, referring to the dinosaur with huge forearm claws.

Sharp teeth were equipped in both mouths, & they were looking to make the Devil Hunter trio their next meal.

Ayako & the two Azusas were going to make them think otherwise: as the meat-eaters charged, Ayako squared off against the Therizino as she unfurled her Whip of Destruction & lashed it out at the killer-clawed dinosaur. Hitting it with powerful stinging lashes, Ayako left cutting marks on the dinosaur's flesh which bled, making the Therizino as deadly/dangerous as before. Unleashing a roar full of primal rage, the dinosaur made a dashing leap at Ayako, who had only a split-second to dodge a slashing set of claws from its right forearm. Ayako cuts the beast with the blade on her whip's handle across the side, causing a bleeding cut that really throws the dinosaur in a frenzy.

The Therizino bellowed a displeasing roar & charged Ayako anew.

Azusa 1 & 2 were having their _own _dinosaur difficulties: the Deinonychus was lighter in mass & thus more agile than the Therizino, & it used its speed to the best of its advantage against the two young Devil Hunters. As a giant frog would, the dinosaur made a powerful leap over at the original Azusa with the sickle claws on its feet extended, wanting to open up the blue-haired Devil Hunter across her stomach & spill her insides all over the grass.

With a speed & grace all her own that Madoka would approve of, the original Azusa avoided a literal gutting by diving to one side while Azusa #2 used her staff to stab the reptile in the side, drawing blood. Using its powerful tail, the Deinonychus knocked away Azusa #2's weapon out of reach. But the young apprentice to Ayako Mano wasn't at all defenseless: she pulled a plethora of sharp blades that she threw like ninja stars, with two of them piercing the beast along the chest & stomach. Roaring in pain, the dinosaur raked at the blades out of its flesh right before the original Azusa ran at it with her spear to impale it in the back of the head & kill it.

But if there's one thing about the Deinonychus that separates it from most other dinosaurs, is that it's got a larger brain & is more intelligent: the beast sensed the original Azusa from behind & turned to snatch the spear with a speed that stunned both young Hunters. In a single movement, the Deinonychus flung Azusa's spear over its head, taking the young Hunter with it. Azusa #2 was clobbered by its tail before she could throw any more of her blades.

Azusa 1 & 2 each landed with a hard thud.

Ayako Mano met a similar fate: while going for a fatal stabbing attack with her whip handle's curved blade, the Therizino made a full 360 degree turn to whack her with its tail. But the twin of Yohko managed to avoid that attack as she leaped up to deliver a fatal stabbing in the head. But like the Deinonychus, the Therizino was an intelligent creature: using its foot like a battering ram, it buffets Ayako in the stomach with a blow that knocked the wind out of & threw her over to where her two companions were at.

Each Devil Hunter was too stunned to get up, let alone fight back as Ayako fought to get air back into her lungs.

Incapacitating their prey, the Deinonychus & Therizino move in for the kill when a strange scent filled both their nostrils, followed by a rustling in the trees behind them. This new scent was unfamiliar to the dinosaurs – which more or less constitutes as a threat, one they need to deal with immediately before they can get the chance to act.

Ignoring the three Devil Hunters, the Deinonychus & Therizino charged into the trees to face this new threat.

Azusa 1 & 2 watchedtheir reptilian enemies suddenly turned & bolted into the grove, but at the moment, were more worried about Ayako.

"Miss Ayako?", the original Azusa asks.

"I-I'll be all right", she replied, still struggling to get air into her lungs after the blow to her stomach. "Where did those two dinosaurs head off to when they had us all cold?"

"Beats _us_, Ayako", Azusa #2 said, getting to her feet as the original one did & offering their hands to Ayako. "At one moment they had us at their mercy, the next they literally turned tail & rushed into the trees, almost as if they were going after…"

Azusa #2 was cut off by the sounds of fierce growling & screeching as the trees shook violently like a very strong breeze was blowing through them. Even in a groggy condition, the trio of Devil Hunters ready their weapons, prepared to fight if their dinosaurian adversaries should somehow return for more.

The next sounds they heard was that of roars cutting short, followed by that of flesh & bone breaking with cracks that echoed the area.

For twenty-four seconds, there was an eerie silence but none of the girls let their guard down.

Ten seconds later, the Deinonychus & Therizino emerged from the trees.

Or what _remained _of them: the top halves of each dinosaur landed on the ground, their bodies literally torn in half by some powerful force as their entrails lay hanging from where they were eviscerated.

Even though their enemies were defeated, whatever tore them in half was still there, & the girls feared they plan on doing the same to them.

"What are we _dealing _with here?", the original Azusa asked.

"I've no idea, but whatever it is, be ready!", Azusa #2 said.

"You needn't worry, Devil Hunters – my clan & I mean you girls no harm", said a low voice coming from within the brush.

"How do we _know _that? You could just as easily try & tear _us _apart like you did those dinosaurs!"

"She's right!", said the original Azusa. "What _proof _can you offer us that you won't have _us _suffer this fate?"

"Because…_we _want the same thing _you _ladies do", the voice continued. "To _stop _this resurrection of dinosaurs from spreading beyond the city limits. We know _exactly _who's responsible for it, _and _where he resides. But my clan & I can't do it alone. That's why we're in dire need of your assistance, Devil Hunters."

The girls look to each other before Ayako gave them the bottom line.

"If you want _our _assistance _this _desperately, then you & your clan need to _show yourselves _to us!", she stated. "We need to see _who _the hell it is we're forming an alliance with!"

"As you wish", the voice said.

The trees rustle again as brush gets parted away to reveal the mysterious saviors that wish to join forces with the trio of Devil Hunters.

When they come into view, their eyes went agape & they gasp slightly at the sight.

"You've _got _to be fucking _kidding _me!", Ayako said softly to herself.

It was practically _all _that she could say at the moment.

_Takao Yamamoto's mansion:_

Yohko couldn't tell how much time had passed since she & Buffy were both clobbered into unconsciousness by Astaroth's inhuman apprentice. As she slowly opened her eyes, the young Devil Hunter recounts in her memory all that had happened right up to when they were knocked out. She tried to move her arms & legs, only to discover she's tied with rope. Lying on her side, she looked around to locate Buffy if she was in the same room as her: a large rectangular area with stone walls, floor & ceiling that was 25 feet high from top to bottom, with a width of 30 feet & a length twice that number. There were totally no furniture, mirrors, trinkets or even windows. What there _was _in the room were lights shining overhead for some illumination, along with a metal door on the far side of where she lay.

But what _really _caught her attention was the multitude of bones – human & otherwise – scattered everywhere on the floor, with specs of blood in various spots.

A sick sense of dread surged through Yohko: she surmised this was a dungeon of some kind, where many people & animals get sent into to die.

She needed to find her friend – and fast!

"Buffy!", Yohko called out, spotting her a few feet away.

Acting like an inchworm, Yohko crawled/nudged herself over to where she lay, tied like the Hunter was.

"Buffy? Buffy, it's Yohko! Wake up! We're in trouble!", she called to her more forcefully.

Thankfully, it did the trick as the Slayer started to revive.

"Ugh! Did you get his license number?", Buffy cracked, feeling like she's about to shatter when she found she was tied instead. Her vision came back into view. "Yohko?"

"Right here, Buffy", Yohko said. "Can you slip your arms free from your ropes? I've tried but can't."

Buffy strained & struggled with her bonds to try & do what her friend suggests, but was unsuccessful.

"No dice, Yohko", Buffy said. "All I've got free are my hands, but I can't reach to where my ropes were tied at, let alone bust free. If only I _had _something to _cut _them with, I'd get us free in…"

A thought struck the girls simultaneously, with the Devil Hunter mentioning it first.

"Buffy, do you still have any more of those ninja stars that you bought during the tour?", Yohko asked.

"I _think _so! Let me see…", Buffy said before fighting to get her hands inside her pants pockets.

It took a bit, but she feels something metallic & sharp.

"Yes! I _thought _I had an extra one or two!", Buffy said, pulling her hands out with a ninja star in each one.

"Excellent! Give one to me, & we can _both _cut our binds loose!", Yohko says, steering her hands over to one of Buffy's stars & grabbing it before both get to work on slicing through their ropes as quickly as they could.

Luckily, the blades on the stars were sharp as razors & cut through in just half a minute, freeing their arms before both ladies get to work loosening the bonds on their legs.

They were loose in no time, & they gratifyingly sprang to their feet in the blink of an eye.

"Okay, part one – getting free – is complete!", Yohko said.

"Now for phase two – getting the hell _out _of this _room!_", Buffy said, looking around to see nothing but a metal door on the far side & scattered bones everywhere. "Which…could be a little more _difficult _than I imagined."

"So…where _do _we go from here, Buffy?", Yohko asked.

"That's a _very _good question, Yohko", Buffy replied.

The sound of clanging metal made the girls' focus be turned to the large door on the far side as it slides & vanishes into the wall like an elevator door would do. Once it was fully opened, the sound of an animal growling can be heard even from where they stood. Buffy & Yohko go on the defensive as the latter tried to summon her sword but found her Demon Ring gone from her left hand, surmising that Astaroth or Talon removed it before tying them up & tossing them into this stone room.

All she & Buffy had were the ninja stars they used to free themselves with, & judging from the growling sounds, it won't nearly be enough.

"_Now _I get it: this is a _feeding ground _for some 'pet' of theirs!", Yohko says orally.

"Yeah, & we're about to get _introduced _to it!", Buffy adds.

Once the door vanishes completely into the wall, the thing inside started stepping out & came into view of the Devil Hunter & Vampire Slayer: it was a four-legged reptile with a greenish flesh hue & black stripes, measuring up to a length of 15 feet & about a meter or so in height at the shoulder. A large sail adorned its back that stood taller than a full-grown man, & its mouth was filled with two separate sets of dagger-like teeth.

It was a creature that lived during the early Permian Period 225-205 million years ago – and is cloned by Astaroth & Talon in utter perfection to serve as their pet.

_A Dimetrodon!_, Buffy & Yohko say to themselves in perfect unison.

The Synapsid reptile roared in satisfaction as it finds two new morsels to add to its ravenous diet. In a move that briefly stunned the girls, the Dimetrodon ran across the floor with amazing speed for an animal of its size & opened up its hungry maw wide to gobble the first prey it sees.

Yohko Mano.

By instinct more than anything, the young Devil Hunter dodged the fatal bite that surely would've bitten her right in half. In retaliation, she used Buffy's ninja star like a blade & cut the reptile in the side of its neck, creating a deep cut which bled & causing the animal to bellow in pain. Striking back with a vengeance, the Dimetrodon lashed out at the Devil Hunter with its front claws to trap Yohko and/or slice her to pieces.

The Devil Hunter avoids death every time, if barely.

Buffy searches frantically for a weapon other than her lone ninja star to battle the Dimetrodon before Yohko ends up in its belly, followed by her shortly after. All she could find are bones remaining from the unfortunate victims that met horrible fates – possibly the _real _Takao Yamamoto & his staff.

While she hated to disgrace the man & his staff by desecrating their bones– _if _any one of these bones actually _do _belong to him & his people – Buffy needed to use them for her safety, as they could be the only things that keep her & Yohko alive.

Picking up a large femur bone, Buffy threw it at the Dimetrodon & struck it in the side of its head.

Like she hoped, she got its attention.

"Hey, lizard-lips! Why not try _me _for a meal?!", Buffy barked at it.

Roaring in a thunderous rage, the sail-backed reptile accepted her challenge.

Ignoring Yohko, the Dimetrodon chased Buffy as the Slayer took off, but not before grabbing another bone to use as a weapon. Across the room, both Slayer & sail-back ran as fast as they can, with Buffy barely keeping ahead of her prehistoric pursuer. When she gets to the end of the room, Buffy literally ran up the wall partially & used it to propel herself forward as the Dimetrodon opened its maw & closed it with a loud snap, missing the Slayer by inches. Landing on the floor again, Buffy took off with the Dimetrodon in hot pursuit.

Heading straight for Yohko, Buffy prayed she has _something _of an idea to at least slow the creature down.

_Yohko, if you've got any ideas on how we're gonna live through this, don't be shy about them!_, Buffy thought.

As fate would have it, Yohko _did _have something in mind: grabbing herself a pile of bones (as much as she could collect in her two hands), Yohko urged Buffy to come her way as surely the Dimetrodon will follow, which it does.

Buffy knew what Yohko's plan was even before she gestured towards her.

Running directly to her friend, Buffy dived for cover as the Dimetrodon opened its maw to take a bite out of her.

It's exactly what Yohko waited for: like a professional basketball player, she tossed the pile of bones into the reptile's open mouth as the bones get thrown deep into its throat when the beast bites down on the unexpected offering.

With bones caught in its throat, the Dimetrodon thrashed as it coughed up what it bit down on.

At that time, Yohko got clear & rejoined Buffy.

"That was quick thinking, Yohko!", Buffy said. "It'll buy us _some _extra time!"

"We'd better think of something more _positive _if we're going to get out of this pit, Buffy!", Yohko said. "If only we could make like Supergirl & _punch _our way out of this horror show – "

Buffy & Yohko face each other with a face that read 'you're a genius'.

"Maybe _we _can't do so…", Buffy started.

"But I'm betting _he _can!", Yohko finished, staring directly at the Dimetrodon.

The Synapsid reptile finished coughing up the remainder of Yohko's bone buffet from its throat.

_Now let's see if they're _really _as dumb as I read they are!_, Buffy thought.

The Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter shout insults & obscenities at the Dimetrodon, who now turned to the girls, each of them holding a bone in their hands, raising them as if they were primitive cavewomen.

Their plan is to goad the Dimetrodon into an attack.

Having been made annoyed at the fact that the sail-back reptile hadn't eaten yet after so many days, it worked.

Letting out a fierce roar of frustration & hunger, the Dimetrodon approached the Slayer & Hunter like a cougar would with a flock of deer before making its pounce for the kill.

All the girls had to do was wait for it.

Finally, it does: the Dimetrodon leaped like a giant cat with incredible speed, heading straight for the girls, both of whom stood with their backs against the wall.

It was now or never!

Taken by surprise from the sudden velocity of its prey as they took off in opposite directions, the Dimetrodon crashed head-first into the stone wall, shattering a portion of it & causing a hole big enough for a person to crawl through without too much trouble. Pieces of the wall fell to the floor in chunks as the Dimetrodon saw spots in its vision from such a devastating blow. Shaking its head to clear its line of sight, the Synapsid caught Buffy & Yohko in its sights, & its fury rose.

Opening its maw, the Dimetrodon turned its head sideways in an attempt to bite both in two at the same time.

It missed.

Buffy & Yohko didn't: with the bones they held in their hands, the Slayer & Hunter shoved their bone weapon into each of the Dimetrodon's eyes, pushing them in with all their might. The sail-backed reptile hollered with anguish as its eyes bled due to the bones rammed into both its sockets, blood spurting everywhere. In a fury, the creature went in a berserk rage as it thrashed around blindly, throwing the bones of its past victims in all directions.

Weakening from loss of blood (_and _the fact that the bones were pushed right into its brain), the Dimetrodon went & collapsed onto the stone floor on its stomach.

Letting out a final gurgle of blood from its mouth & a slight twitch of its tail, the reptile fell still & silent.

The Dimetrodon was no more.

"Damn, these creatures are harder to kill than _crabgrass!_", Buffy said.

"_And _they give new meaning to the phrase 'hard-headed'!", Yohko adds. "But now that our little playmate _gave _us our way out of this death trap, what say we take a peek inside the next room, Slayer?"

"Any place is better than here, Hunter. And if it's got anything that'll help us stop Astaroth & his plan to resurrect his prehistoric family tree, then all the better."

"Then let's hurry up & arm ourselves to the teeth first, Buffy: there's no telling _what's _going on outside beyond the boundaries of this mansion!"

Nodding, Buffy went in first through the hole the Dimetrodon created. Yohko went in next, getting an extra assist from the Slayer as she helper through with ease. The ladies entered a dark room but could see a flash of illumination all across the room. Buffy & Yohko headed over quickly as they could, with the former pressing a button that immediately lit up the room. To their surprise (& satisfaction), they stood in a room that was _full _of weapons ranging from firearms to shields, swords & other trinkets from both past & present years.

Plenty of ammunition was available for each firearm being displayed.

"It's Christmas in July!", Buffy said, smiling.

"Either that, or the Man Upstairs really _is _looking out for the little guys!", Yohko adds, smiling herself. She puts a hand on the Slayer's shoulder. "So, girlfriend…you up to doing a little _more _shopping today?"

"Cash or charge?"

Their smiles grew before they begin their little spree.

**CHAPTER VII**

In the main ballroom entrance of the mansion, Astaroth & Talon stay side-by-side where the stones reside at, now glowing brighter than before. The humanoid dinosaur leader holds his hands out in front of him along with Talon, acting as if they were warming themselves at a campfire.

"The carnage out in the city of Tokyo must be going on at full capacity, Master", Talon said. "If only I could be out there myself, joining our dinosaurian brethren in all the mayhem: devouring the humans on an astronomical scale."

"Patience, old friend", Astaroth says calmly. "I know you're _most _anxious to be out there along with having our clan back, but the resurrection spell to bring them back on a grand scale _does _take time, even though we do possess all the necessary equipment. To coin a phrase used by the humans, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. Besides, we've waited a few million years to get our hands on the stones. Surely a couple more hours won't hurt?"

"I suppose not, Master. But you _are _correct: I _am _most eager to have the clan back with us. I can picture in my mind right now of the _mayhem _we'll be causing once our comrades are here again."

"That most _definitely _makes _two _of us, Talon."

Astaroth & Talon share a sinister chuckle as even the Manosaur leader can see in _his_ mind all of the destruction & havoc they'll be causing soon.

"Sorry boys, but _we're _afraid the family reunion is going to be _cancelled!_", said a young female voice, forcing both Manosaurs to halt the ceremony & stand ready for a possible attack.

Because of the interruption, the stones' glow faded & stopped.

"Who _dares _to interrupt our work?!", Talon growled.

"Oh, come _on_, big guy!", said a second female voice. "Surely _you _recognize us! After all…you _clobbered _us from behind, which _wasn't _very _sporting_, I'll have to point out!"

That said, both Astaroth & Talon were taken by surprise: it took them a moment to recognize the voices before that further piece of info confirmed the intruders, difficult as it may be for them to believe.

_No _way _are those two human bitches still alive!_, Astaroth thought with disdain & contempt.

"_Show yourselves_, you cowards!", Astaroth bellowed orally.

"Ask & ye shall receive!", both ladies said.

From the balcony on the second floor, Buffy & Yohko jumped off & descended to ground floor, each one landing gracefully on their feet. The two ladies rise from the floor & face their two dinosaurian foes, standing several feet away. Both were armed to the teeth with weapons strapped on their persons: Buffy had twin axes of medieval customs on her back, while wearing a bandolier of live hand grenades over her left shoulder. In her hands was a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, with extra shells in her pockets & belt around her waist. Yohko held twin Sai blades in her hands, with a pair of katana blades placed on her back. In a pouch on her belt is a mini bag of ninja stars.

One look at the two girls was all that was needed for the blood of Astaroth & Talon to boil with rage: two humans who _should _now be digesting in the stomach of a large sail-backed reptile at this very moment.

And yet, here they stand, armed to the teeth & staring in contempt at the two Manosaurs.

"Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano?! _Still alive?!_", Astaroth bellowed fiercely.

"That's our _names_, bud! Don't wear them out!", Yohko said.

"Nice to see you too! Did you miss us?", Buffy adds.

"It is _impossible _for you girls to _be _here!", Talon barked. "How _did _you two escape from the pit, let alone our pet Dimetrodon?!"

"What can I say? We _deal _with the impossible on a daily basis!", Buffy says. "It's something of our specialty! If you _really _want to know how we escaped that pit _and _your pet, go read Houdini's biography! I hear it's great for those who have feeble minds such as yours!"

"Oh, by the way…you _have _something _personal _of mine, & I want it _back!_", Yohko says.

"You mean _this_, Devil Hunter?", Astaroth says, holding up Yohko's V-shaped Devil Ring in his open palm. "Try & _take _it back…if you dare!"

"You bet your _ass _I dare!"

Without another word or even a hint of a warning, Yohko threw her Sai blades at her dinosaurian foes, followed immediately by her katanas. Astaroth & Talon easily deflected the Sais with their hands, swatting them away like they were no more than irritating flies.

The katanas, however, hit their mark: with a stabbing puncture, the blades each hit their intended targets in their sides, drawing streams of blood. Even though they hurt enough to cause a slight bark of pain, they were still not merely enough to even begin to bring the humanoid dinosaurs down. Unfettered by their wounds, Astaroth & Talon each pull out both blades & toss them away like cheap, broken toys.

"You'll have to do a _lot _better than _that_, dear Devil Hunter!", Astaroth mocked with a toothy grin.

"Oh, but I _have_, Astaroth!", Yohko said, turning to her friend. "Buffy?"

Her bandolier already removed from her shoulder, the Slayer throws her garment like a frisbee at their two cold-blooded enemies. Even before the bandolier hits the floor, Buffy raises her shotgun & shoots the grenade pile as it was only mere inches away from the humanoid dinosaurs.

_BLAM! BANG!_

It was a direct hit: Buffy's first firing of buckshot strikes one or two of the grenades & they detonate, causing a chain reaction in the others as they all go off in a single blast. The grenades explode when they reached between Astaroth & Talon, the blast being more than powerful enough to knock both saurians away from each other in opposite directions: Astaroth crashes into one of the thick concrete pillar supporters & pulverizes it with his weight, while Talon crashed at the bottom part of the spiral staircase leading upstairs, severing it as it lay in rubble.

Miraculously, none of the stones or the slab they were resting on suffered any damage from the blast.

For some reason, they remain intact.

"There! See what happens when you piss us humans off?", Buffy says, raising her shotgun to her shoulder. "Not too _pleasant_, is it!"

"Isn't _that _the truth!", Yohko said, retrieving her Demon Ring & putting it on her left hand after Astaroth dropped it in the blast. With her ring retrieved, Yohko draws her sword. "Now then…do you assholes want some more, or are you both ready to throw in the towel & give up?"

Astaroth lets out an evil chuckle as he & Talon rise from their beds of rubble, grinning fiercely.

"Foolish Devil Hunter! We haven't even _begun _to tango!", he says, turning to his companion. "Talon, I admit to making a _grave _mistake in not allowing you to _devour _these two irritants before. Please feel free to _correct _my slight error, won't you?"

"It will be my utmost _pleasure_, Master!", Talon said, staring at the Slayer & Hunter with the determination & the eagerness of a hungry shark.

"So what are you _waiting _for, Barney?", Buffy says, gesturing with her hand in a 'come get me' motion. "Bring it on…_if _you dare!"

"Prepare to _die_, stupid humans!", Talon bellowed, charging towards the girls with a grace & speed that belied his size & obesity.

_Holy _shit_!_, Buffy & Yohko thought, unbelieving that a creature of Talon's size/weight can move so quickly.

Talon literally reached the girls in mere seconds & brings his raised fists down at the same time with the force of a sledgehammer, pummeling his fists into the exact spot where Buffy & Yohko were at only a split-second ago as both girls leaped out of the way just in time. The only thing Talon succeeds in pounding was the marble floor itself, leaving a pair of craters several inches deep.

"Hold still so that I may _pound _your _bones _into _dust!_", Talon growls, snarling & baring his pointed teeth.

In answer, Talon gets bombarded by Yohko's ninja stars & Buffy's buckshot from her 12-gauge.

While the wounds bled, they still didn't stop the huge bipedal creature.

"If you _want _us, shithead…", Yohko barked.

"You'll have to _catch _us first!", Buffy finished.

Bellowing an angry roar that filled the room, Talon did a full 360 degree turn & swung his clubbed tail at the two girls' heads. Buffy & Yohko managed to drop down to the floor to avoid the massive lump of bone at the end of Talon's tail. Had either girl been a fraction of a second slower, their heads would've exploded like ripe melons.

But the danger was still present, & instant death for either of them could come at any moment.

Right now, Buffy's directly within that line: after hitting the floor, the Slayer gets her bearings & looked up to see Talon's tail coming right at her from above like a living ball & chain. With no time to dive out of the way, Buffy can tell this could be the end of a short but impressive career as a Vampire Slayer.

Talon's tail comes crashing down.

Buffy was nowhere in the vicinity: just before the fatal blow, Yohko came in at Buffy & tackled her to safety in another close call, saved yet again from an instant pulverizing.

Yohko nearly got clobbered herself, but for saving Buffy, it was well worth the risk.

"Nice save, Yohko!", Buffy said.

"Don't mention it, Buffy!", Yohko said. "But we can't keep this up: sooner or later, that freak will get in a lucky shot at this rate!"

"You're right: because of his size & speed, he _does _have a distinct advantage over us! But maybe if we can just get ourselves onto the second floor…"

"Got it, & it's a _great _idea! All we have to do is to reach what remains of those stairs!"

Buffy aims her shotgun at Talon.

"When I say…", she instructs.

The humanoid saurian charged the duo again, giving Buffy & Yohko their cue.

"_Now_, Yohko!", the Slayer shouts, firing off a pair of shots directly into Talon's face which temporarily obscures his vision. At that time, Yohko heads for the stairs as Buffy followed close behind. Using their Hunter/Slayer strengths, the girls leap over the damaged portions & began ascending once they get their footing & balance. Despite being badly damaged at the bottom, the staircase is still sturdy & able enough to support its passengers even as they race frantically upon it.

Aside from the blood on his face, Talon can still see clearly enough to resume his hunt. Hearing footsteps hitting marble diverts his attention to its source & he sees his prey racing up the stairs, almost making it to the top.

Almost.

"Oh no you _don't_, ladies!", the saurian snaps, running & then leaping at the staircase – _and _the girls.

"_Heads up!_", Buffy shouted, catching a glimpse of Talon jumping at them from the left corner of her eyes. Yohko turned to get a look for herself…

Just as Talon crashes his entire body into what remained of the staircase, pulverizing it into rubble.

In the mayhem, Buffy lost her shotgun.

_Goddamnit!_, she thought angrily, losing her weapon as it dropped to the floor.

To make matters worse, Talon made a crash landing right on top of it, crushing the 12-gauge with his feet like it was no more than tin foil. Now Buffy was down to her axes as she & Yohko dangle from the balcony with one hand.

Putting their disappointment aside, Buffy & Yohko manage to get themselves up on the second floor.

Their jubilation didn't last long at all.

"Going somewhere, ladies?", Talon said, jumping to where the girls are, smashing into the balcony floor as debris came crashing down to the main floor, followed by Buffy & Yohko. Hitting the floor on their feet, the Slayer & Hunter made a break for it but Talon cut their dash to freedom short when he swung his tail & bashed the floor just inches from where they were. Even though he missed the girls, the impact _did _send them airborne briefly before they landed on their backs, stunning them both.

Grinning widely, Talon strides over to the ladies, his immense size towering the Slayer & Hunter as he also adds a sinister chuckle.

"It was a nice attempt, but there is nowhere left for you girls to go!", the saurian says. "_Neither _of you is getting out of here alive!"

Thinking fast, Yohko took a quick survey of her surroundings & saw what would help to give them an edge.

Seeing what was not too far off, she smirks.

"Oh yeah? Tell it to the _judge!_", Yohko said, throwing her sword with what strength she can muster after the fall & hit they sustained. The weapon twirled like a chopper blade upwards, not even coming _close _to hitting Talon.

"Missed! You are such a _lousy shot_, Devil Hunter!", Talon says.

"She _wasn't _aiming for _you_, dumbass!", Buffy shot back.

Ignoring her retort, Talon was about to crouch down & dine on his human prey when he suddenly heard a loud, echoing snap from behind him. The saurian turned his head to look – and his eyes widened to see the business end of the large metal gavel that was suspended by a pair of cables coming right for him: when Yohko threw her sword before, the blade cut through the cable of the gavel's large side & swung down on its remaining suspension cable.

Talon never had a chance to dodge or avoid: with the force of fifty or more sledgehammers, the gavel struck the humanoid dinosaur directly in the chest, sending him careening back to where Astaroth was, landing on his back with rumbling force. From his mouth, the saurian coughed up a gout of blood which stained his teeth & lips.

"Oooh! Case dismissed!", Buffy said.

"And meeting adjourned!", Yohko added, retrieving her sword via her Demon Ring.

Both ladies gave each other a high-five once they were on their feet again.

Getting some assistance from Astaroth, Talon also gets back upon his feet, albeit more groggily than the girls & was mildly impressed by their battling abilities.

Mildly, that is, but not completely.

"I should've _expected _that they wouldn't go so easily", Talon says. "You were _correct _before, Master: for humans, Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano _are _very dangerous adversaries. They've both already proven their unorthodox fighting prowess on this day, first-hand. As long as they still live & breathe, they are a _threat _to our plans for this planet."

"Then perhaps it's time we put an _end _to these foolish shenanigans, yes?", Astaroth suggests. "We _do _have more important matters to attend, after all."

"Indeed we do, Master", Talon said, facing the ladies. "As amusing as you both are, Miss Summers, Miss Mano, I'm afraid it's time to _finish _our quarrel & end your existence before you can do so to ours!"

Buffy arms herself with the medieval axes she had strapped onto her back after losing her shotgun due to Talon destroying her 12-gauge, the extra shells still in her pockets.

"Is that so?", the Slayer scoffed. "And _how_, out of curiosity, are you planning on _doing _that, exactly? Do your best Al Pacino impersonation & shout obscenities at us until the cows come home?"

"Or maybe you want to try & _charge _us again!", Yohko adds. "Last _we _checked, that didn't work out too well for you – did it?"

"Perhaps not, Devil Hunter, Vampire Slayer!", Talon says with an evil grin. "But I guarantee you that _this _will!"

A large portion of Talon's stomach convulses & swells, as if someone was starting to inflate a giant balloon. The swelling only goes for several inches outward, but not the metamorphosis: from where both Buffy & Yohko stand, they can see the bulging of the saurian's stomach as they ready themselves for any kind of nasty surprises their prehistoric enemy might have in store for them.

Much to their dismay, a nasty surprise is _exactly _what the girls get.

In a move that would completely gross out even the likes of horror movie directors John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven & even the legendary 'Godfather of Gore' Herschell Gordon Lewis, Talon's swollen stomach vertically splits itself open like the sharpest razor made the biggest incision & out emerged Talon's snakelike internal organs – intestines, blood veins, etc. – and lashed out horizontally, heading right for the Slayer & Hunter. Seeing the humanoid dinosaurs inner organs lash out like serpents abruptly made Buffy & Yohko temporarily numb & even sick to their _own _stomachs, watching such a sickening sight & leaving them open for attack.

Talon's tactic worked: witnessing such a nauseating sight nearly made the girls toss up their cookies, & neither of them could move until _after _Talon's snakelike organs started wrapping themselves around the girls' appendages. The Slayer & Hunter use every ounce of strength to get themselves free, but the organs were squeezing them too tightly for any serious movements to be made as the pressure was placed upon their arms, legs, chests & even their heads. Feeling like they're about to black out, Buffy & Yohko unintentionally drop their weapons to the floor, just as Talon's internal organs began retracting back into him like numerous fishing lines, dragging the girls along with them as their prized catch.

Fighting to stay conscious, Yohko & Buffy struggle & tug at the living organs to break free, but due to the strength of them (along with them feeling nauseous), they're unable to do much of anything.

Except be consumed.

The last of Talon's inner organs retreated back inside of him, while both his human prey still fight to resist being pulled & drawn in, but their efforts were all but futile. In seconds, the Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter disappeared into the belly of the beast as the opening now seals itself but good & Talon's stomach shrinks down to its normal size, with absolutely no trace/sign of an incision anywhere.

"Bon apetite, old friend!", Astaroth says to Talon, who responds by letting out a boisterous belch that echoed the main ballroom entrance & beyond.

"Oh, _pardon me_, Master!", Talon joked as both humanoid dinosaurs shared a sinister laugh, victorious.

_Inside Talon's stomach:_

All was dark & quiet where Buffy & Yohko are, sans the beating of their own hearts. Neither one of them could see anything, as a thick, viscous fluid threatened to enter their eyes, forcing them shut. They couldn't breathe either – both knew they'd drown for sure & in an instant if they dared open their mouths. Movement was also very limited: held captive by living organs restricted their motion for the most part. Although they haven't been in Talon's stomach for too long, it still felt like forever since they were pulled in, & unless they do something – _anything _– to escape their gross prison, forever _will _be the time they'll spend in Talon's stomach, dissolved & digested.

With all her strength, Yohko's left hand goes over to Buffy's right & takes it in hers.

Her Demon Ring started to glow a little before escalating in intensity.

_On the outside:_

Astaroth stares at his faithful companion in wonder.

"Well, old friend", he starts to say. "Has the Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter finally been dissolved & digested after these few minutes?"

"Not _yet_, Master", Talon replied with a toothy grin. "But it will _not _be long now: for every second that goes by, I can feel their heartbeats getting slower. Soon they'll stop beating permanently, & _that's _when I can _truly _begin the dissolving & digesting process. In one form or another, they are both well on their way & _done _for."

A small glow from where Buffy & Yohko once stood caught their attention as Astaroth & Talon look to see the Devil Hunter's sword shine for a moment or two before disappearing altogether, making them believe in the obvious.

"Well on their way & done for indeed", Astaroth surmised. "Yohko's consciousness must be fading away in order for her weapon to vanish like it did."

"With the Slayer soon to follow", Talon adds. "After which, there'll be _no _obstacles to oppose or obstruct us from bringing back the Mesozoic Era in this modern-day world."

The two humanoid dinosaurs let out a maniacal laugh, basking in their alleged victory: with the six stones in their possession & both Vampire Slayer Buffy Summers & Devil Hunter Yohko seemingly well on their way to their death beds, there would be no reason for them _not _to be proud.

At an abrupt notice, Talon's laugh becomes a gurgling cry of pain at the drop of a dime: from within, a very sharp object stabs at Talon from inside the beast himself. The blade penetrates out from the lower part of his rib cage on the right, & with a swift cut downwards, it slices Talon open from within, spilling out his blood & inner organs as Yohko & Buffy themselves hit the floor into a literal puddle of blood & guts. Talon's cry became a shrilling scream of anguish as Buffy & Yohko desperately take in large breaths of air. Buffy & Yohko did their best to ignore the raunchy stench of blood & organs all around them. Just like a tumbling tree, Talon falls to the floor in a gutted/lifeless corpse.

"You all right, Buffy?", Yohko asked, looking over to her companion.

"You mean aside from being covered in dinosaur blood & guts all over? I'm just peachy!", Buffy replied as she coughed in spots.

Both girls shared a quick smile.

Astaroth doesn't even acknowledge the girls at the moment, for he is too lost in grief over the brutal death of his friend & second-in-command. Staring over the saurian's gutted corpse, Astaroth felt for the first time in his life remorse & sorrow in the pit of his stomach, as Talon was one of kind for him: ever since making him his second, Talon had not once disobeyed a single order from Astaroth, no matter how grave or ludicrous it may have been. Talon gave Astaroth a loyalty in which the other Manosaurs couldn't, even though they _all _followed his lead back in the day. In all his valor, Talon would kill & die for his master without question.

It's very much what he'd done just now, meeting his death at the hands of two monster-killing humans.

_Even though I can easily resurrect you like the rest of our brethren, old friend, I will make those two wretched female humans _pay dearly _for your horrid demise_, Astaroth thought. _That's a solemn promise._

Backing away silently many feet, Buffy & Yohko view the dramatic display.

"Plays out like a real soap opera, doesn't it?", Buffy asks.

"Yeah", Yohko replied. "If they weren't maniacal humanoid dinosaurs bent on world conquest, then I would almost feel _bad _for them. Almost."

Despite speaking in a low voice, the Manosaur leader more than clearly heard their words being exchanged, & he turned to them with fire in his reptilian eyes. His grief was now fully replaced with fierce animalistic rage, hatred, & an overwhelming thirst for revenge.

"Filthy humans!", he barked. "I will _personally _see to it that _both _your deaths become as gruesome & painful as _Talon's _was!"

Astaroth wasted no time in carrying out his threat: even before he finished speaking, both the stones & his dorsal Stegosaurus plates light up. From his Tyrannosaurus maw emits a yellow ball of flames that was aimed straight for the girls. Buffy & Yohko dive for cover in opposite directions as the ball of flame hits the spot they stood at seconds ago, scorching the spot into a charred mess.

_Great! Now he becomes Godzilla, bad breath & all!_, Buffy thought, seeing Astaroth imitate the world-famous movie monster in all his glory.

Buffy ran to the medieval axes she dropped when Talon's insides grabbed hold of her & Yohko, picking them up even without slowing down & throws one of them at the maniacal Tyrannosaurus, who now fires multiple balls of fire from his mouth at Yohko. The Devil Hunter was barely able to dodge each fireball which left smoking areas of molten marble wherever they landed.

One came close to toasting Yohko's entire person, were it not for her reflexes.

Thankfully, Buffy's first thrown axe hits its mark directly into Astaroth's right side, drawing a flow of blood from the wound. The saurian emitted a bellowing roar of pain from the impact as the Slayer now throws her other axe at the raging reptile. But _this _time, Astaroth counterattacks by throwing a ball of flames not from his mouth but his right hand, aiming & shooting it at the oncoming weapon. In one strike, the ball hits the axe & blows it to molten pieces before he ripped out the other from out of his side & shatters the thing with his bare hand.

By then, Yohko rejoins Buffy, her sword at the ready.

Astaroth chuckled at the two monster-killing females.

"Good try, Slayer, but _not _good enough!", he states. "While your skills _are _something to be admired, you girls _still _have no chance of defeating me _or _my dinosaurian army! So…_who_, exactly, should be the one to 'throw in the towel & give up', hmm?"

Another chuckle emits from Astaroth's mouth when the front doors & a portion of the wall of the mansion both get literally knocked down into a pile of splinters & stone by a powerful force from outside. The blast sent debris flying inside as Buffy, Yohko & Astaroth cover their faces to shield themselves from the pieces & dust cloud that accompanied the debris.

"_ASTAROTH!_", shouted a powerful voice from within.

_Can it be…?_, Astaroth thought, having recognized the voice.

The cloud of dust quickly dissipated to reveal the newcomers: they were a band of four large humanoid creatures, with most of them reaching 14 feet: the first was a tan-furred Smilodon beast, wearing a necklace of large sharp teeth around its thick neck; the second was a furry armadillo with a protective shell on its back & bony rings on its tail. It was a humanoid version of the extinct mammal Glyptodon; the third was a humanoid Brontops, with a Y-shaped horn above its nostrils; the fourth & final was a large Megatherium creature, which stood 20 feet tall, matching Talon's own impressive height.

Their appearance amazed Buffy & Yohko, but actually didn't surprise them too much.

_They must be the Manommals in which Astaroth mentioned to us before!_, Buffy thought as Yohko came to that very same conclusion.

And they weren't alone: accompanying the Manommals were three humans, each of them dressed in Devil Hunter outfits like Yohko's own, with two of them being in a black & blue attire instead of red sans for the one with blue hair on her head wore. The one in blue attire looked exactly like the other, while the taller one in black looked like Yohko herself.

_Azusa?! Azusa #2?! Ayako?!_, Yohko thought.

Over at Ayako's corner, none of them were surprised to see Yohko present, but she & _her _own young apprentice were stunned to see Yohko's new friend in the thick of it.

Astaroth himself was somewhat surprised to see the Manommals alive & well, believing they perished during the earthquake that interrupted their last battle many years ago.

But amazingly, he was actually _happy _to have them in his midst, especially their leader – the humanoid Smilodon.

"Malgamer!", he says with a toothy grin. "How _wonderful _of you to actually come into my parlor, like the spider once said to the fly! Tell me something: did you make your way here to resume our quarrel just to meet your demise by my hands – as it was meant to be?"

Malgamer said nothing: he simply stared in pure hatred at his dinosaurian enemy, letting out a low, angry growl.

"So _be_ it, warm-blooded fool!", Astaroth says. "Let's _finish _this once & for all – and _this _time, we'll have a _clear _victor!"

"For _once_, Astaroth, we _agree _on something!", Malgamer says, turning to the Slayer & Hunters. "Humans, this is _our _fight now: I must ask you to stand back & let _us _deal with this monstrosity! Should by some chance we fail, _then _it shall become _your _responsibility to pick up where we left off!"

Buffy was about to protest but Yohko placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's do what he suggests, Buffy", she says. "You & I are _still _a bit out of it after being swallowed in the most grotesque way, so we _should _allow Malgamer & his people to handle Astaroth."

Buffy didn't want to admit it, but Yohko was correct: Talon's attack method left both of them still drained, but now that Astaroth's _true _enemies have arrived, they _ought _to allow them to take care of business from this point on.

"I guess you're right, Yohko", Buffy relents.

Ayako & her group also step down.

"Looks like we're mere spectators in _this _battle royal, huh?", Azusa #2 says.

"It's a personal vendetta they've shared since _long_ before we were born, Azusa #2", the original girl says. "I say Malgamer & his people have the _right _to finish this themselves. We're mainly the _contingency _plan."

"It's what their honor demands, & I can definitely get behind _that_", Ayako said with a slight smile.

Both versions of Azusa nodded in agreement.

During this time, Malgamer & his people – the armadillo creature Glypto, the horned creature Bronto, & the giant ground sloth Megather – each spread out in a five-foot gap between each other. Each combatant is as eager to attack as their leader was.

Astaroth simply stared & grinned like it was no big deal to him, despite being outnumbered four to one.

The Vampire Slayer & four Devil Hunters in the room stood, watched & waited in anticipation for the first strike to commence.

Finally, the order was given.

"_Go!_", Malgamer ordered.

As one, the Manommals charged at Astaroth, every one anxious to get their hands upon the Manosaur leader & rip him apart with nothing more than their bare hands.

Still, Astaroth stood & grinned without skipping a beat.

It indicated a problem to Buffy: seeing the humanoid Tyrannosaur stand where he is smiling wasn't natural even for a malevolent entity like Astaroth. She assumed he must have something up his reptilian sleeves – a possible way to lure enemies into a false sense of security & lay an ambush.

_He's planning something! Malgamer & his people are rushing themselves into a trap!_, Buffy thought.

The Slayer wanted to shout them a warning, but it was too late: before she could utter one syllable, Astaroth had his hands raised as his dorsal plates & the six stones lit up brightly. In the blink of an eye, powerful streaks of yellow lightning shot forth from the Manosaurs' hands & struck Malgamer & his people dead center. The bolts of lightning were so powerful, they threw the Manommals back across the room & up against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Each combatant cried out in pain from the blow they received.

Ayako & her group had to dive to one side to avoid getting clobbered by the oncoming creatures, which they all missed a collision with but not by much.

Astaroth's assault on Malgamer & his people didn't stop there: drawing on more of the stones' power, he fired another barrage of lightning bolts from his hands, striking the Manommals with the sting of an angry god. Megather & his comrades tried to rise, but the power & pain was too great even for them.

The humanoid dinosaur laughed wickedly like a mad scientist from an old science-fiction movie.

"You really _are _an overconfident _fool_, Malgamer!", he stated. "Did you actually believe you can simply waltz in here, attempt to overpower me with your numbers & take away what's rightfully mine?! You can _never _defeat me, do you hear?! _Never! I _have the stones! _I _have the power! What do _you _have?! Just a few of your cronies & some pathetic _humans_ at your whim!"

While Astaroth gloated on his victory, Buffy dug her hands into her pockets & took out the spare shotgun shells: even though talon destroyed her 12-gauge, she _still _has a good & perfect use for the extra ammunition.

Giving one handful to Yohko, Buffy whispered in her ear of her plan.

Liking what she heard, Yohko nods & shared a wicked smile with her friend.

"_We'll _fucking show _you _who's pathetic, Astaroth!", Buffy yelled to the saurian as she & Yohko threw the shells directly at the humanoid dinosaur.

Or rather, at the bolts of lightning nearest him.

Facing Buffy & Yohko, Astaroth saw the girls throw their shotgun shells at him with great accuracy.

Such speed were they thrown that Astaroth didn't have time to deflect or dodge them: once they reached the bolts of lightning Astaroth was projecting from his hands, the shells ignited & exploded like miniature grenades from the heat which struck them. They were more than enough to cause the saurian to cease his assault, giving the Devil Hinters their chance.

"_Now_, you guys!", Yohko shouted to Ayako & the Azusa twins.

"Clever girls!", Ayako said to herself about Buffy & Yohko's tactic that ceased Astaroth's lightning attack before making her move. _Malgamer & his people really _do _need us…they failed, & now it's _our _turn!_, she thought.

Unfurling her Whip of Destruction, Ayako leaped at the humanoid reptile as the Azusa twins charged with their spears as the original Azusa threw her weapon at Astaroth & hitting him into the chest, spewing blood. Azusa #2 used _her _spear much like a sword & made a slash on his side. While the Azusa twins were attacking from the low ground, Ayako took the high ground & launched her whip at Astaroth in mid-air: her weapon struck the humanoid dinosaur in his face & shoulders, causing stinging/bleeding cuts wherever they landed. The original Azusa removed her weapon from Astaroth's chest while Ayako #2 kept him distracted, this time joining up with her twin as they slice & stab the beast with their spears at various locations, always on the move so that he could never get a solid bead on either.

Same as with Ayako, who kept herself constantly mobile while using her Whip of Destruction on the prehistoric perpetrator.

Watching Astaroth take such punishment by the three Devil Hunters made Yohko want to join in, only if to go & deliver the killing blow. Raising her sword, she prepares to join in on the melee.

"_Enough!_", Astaroth bellowed.

The next few moments happened so fast, Yohko never got her chance: with a swipe of his spiked tail, Astaroth clobbered the Azusa twins before they could create another wound. They were lucky: even though they got hit where the spikes were, none of them impaled either young Devil Hunter, but instead flung them back to where Malgamer & his people are.

With Ayako, Astaroth snatched her whip in one hand during her next attack, surprising the Devil Hunter in black. With his inhuman strength, the humanoid dinosaur used Ayako's weapon against & flung her over to the large gavel which was hanging by its single cable. Ayako hit the object at one end on her stomach, the impact knocking the wind out of her before she fell to the floor, struggling for breath.

Astaroth chuckled loudly at seeing his enemies – Manommal _and _Devil Hunter alike – lying on the floor, all in a helpless position.

"Like I said – _pathetic!_", he snapped before resuming with his lightning attack from the power of the stones.

Only this time, it was even more powerful than before as the bolts stung their bodies worse than before.

Cries of agony were also more intense & louder.

"Buffy, if we don't _do _something that will give us a more _effective _solution, our friends are going to _die!_", Yohko says, the worry clear in her voice.

"I know, Yohko!", Buffy replied. "But as long Astaroth has the stones in his possession, we might _never _be able to…"

Buffy answered her own question as both their faces lit up with a slight glimmer of hope.

"The _stones_", they said in unison, turning to said glowing objects.

"I remember when Astaroth mentioned that when all six stones were placed together, their power can be active!", Yohko said.

"Same here, Yohko!", Buffy says, catching on. "All _we _have to do is take away just _one _of the stones, & _that _will _sever_ his connection to their power!"

"Let's _do it!_"

Nodding, Buffy raced with Yohko as they headed directly for the slab where the stones rested upon. Approaching the nearest one, the girls place their hands on either side & attempt to remove it.

Strangely, Astaroth made no sudden moves to prevent either female, even though he clearly sees their approach.

Upon contact, Yohko & Buffy were suddenly struck throughout their entire bodies with a strong electrical current which made them feel like their bodies were being pulled in different directions. Both Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter cried out in anguish, just before the power surge knocked them away several feet as they slide across the marble floor.

Their plight stops only when they hit the wall.

Astaroth laughs maniacally before explaining to his two teenage human enemies.

"Stupid humans!", he mocks "Only one of _Malgamer's _or _my _people can touch the stones once they're activated without suffering an injury! I wouldn't _advise _touching them _again! _Your _next _shock will be _fatal!_ And while we're _on _that particular subject…"

Ceasing his electrical attack, Astaroth now unleashed a barrage of fireballs formed by his hands & pitched them at Buffy & Yohko with raging fury. Although still jolted from the shock they received from the stones, both ladies have managed to evade each spontaneous hit on their own power, pushing their bodies' endurance to their limits & beyond. With their acrobatic skills, Buffy & Yohko stay ahead of being char-broiled to a crisp but knew their luck couldn't hold out: they also know they're only delaying the inevitable unless something solid can be done to completely cut off the stones' power from Astaroth before either of them end up dead for a second time – an experience neither the Slayer nor Hunter looks forward to.

Because this time, there _won't _be a Xander Harris _or _Haruka Mano to resurrect them.

One of Astaroth's fireballs was shot in front of Buffy, missing her by inches but cutting her off from Yohko as she was slung back & landed on her rear end. The humanoid dinosaur stood over his fallen enemy with a big grin on his reptilian face.

"Fun's fun, Buffy Summers!", he said, his hands raised in striking position. "But now I believe it's time for our dance to be, shall we say, _severed!_"

Buffy stared at her reptilian foe as he launched his left hand forward.

_SLISH!_

One moment, Astaroth was in the midst of spontaneously combusting Buffy Summers right before him; the next, he's screaming in pain as his left hand gets sliced off at the wrist by Yohko Mano's sword & falls at her feet.

"That's _funny_, Astaroth…I was thinking the very same thing!", Yohko says, picking up the saurian's hand in her own pair. Buffy grinned at both Yohko's performance _and _pun.

For the moment, Astaroth was too much in pain to do anything to stop either the Slayer or the Hunter: using his power of fire from his remaining right hand, the saurian sealed off the flow of blood by forming a dried blood clot that cauterizes the wound in a stump on his wrist, preventing him from getting weak due to blood loss.

Now that he gave himself immediate surgery, Astaroth looked to see Buffy Summers & Yohko Mano gone from sight, but found the latter already trying to remove one of the stones from its resting place, using the hand she severed from Astaroth's wrist & be immune from its power should they shine again.

She actually _succeeds _in her task, making the saurian even _more _angry.

"You dirty little _bitch!_", Astaroth bellowed, approaching the Devil Hunter with his maw open, ready to devour Yohko with his one remaining hand & jaws.

He is suddenly hit from the side as Buffy threw a piece of debris at her dinosaurian enemy, causing Astaroth to face the Slayer, now armed with the last weapons she has – a pair of sharp stakes she basically uses for stabbing vampires with, one in each hand.

"Never mind about _her_, Astaroth!", Buffy stated firmly. "You're not done yet with _me!_"

"I can easily _fix _that, Slayer!", Astaroth barked before making a leap towards her.

Buffy moved to the right just as her enemy lands where she was a split-second ago. He then swished his tail in an attempt to impale her with his spikes, but Buffy leaped herself over the deadly projectiles once they got within reach. Having failed to stab her, Astaroth faces & lunged at her with his deadly/hungry mandibles, snapping them with equal ferocity of a crocodile or alligator.

After several failed attempts, Astaroth gets struck in the neck on both sides by Buffy, who impales both of her stakes in said areas; even though her dinosaurian enemy _isn't _one of the undead, her twin stakes still proved to be most effective in combat against him.

Staggering back from the unexpected hit, Astaroth gets pummeled by the Slayer as Buffy continued her assault on the saurian, punching & kicking in the chest & even getting in a few licks to the gut, followed by his reptilian face. Angry as he is, Astaroth _is _astounded by the more-than-average strength Buffy possesses within her; never has he felt such raw physical power & endurance from a single human. Earlier, he mentioned to Talon that Buffy – along with Yohko – were too dangerous as humans (with Talon even finding out for himself during _his _scuffle with the ladies), & both Manosaurs were all but proved right.

But enough was enough.

As Buffy prepares to sock Astaroth in the face again with a swift left, the Manosaur grasps it with his right hand, which concealed hers entirely in his grip. He then puts some tight pressure upon it, preventing the Slayer from putting any more hits as Buffy strained & struggled to get her hand free, to no avail.

Even powerful punches from her right hand & kicks from both legs couldn't do it.

"What great _strength_ you have for a human, Buffy Summers!", Astaroth said, looking straight at her with an evil grin. Buffy looked back at him with a surprised/scared face. "It's no _wonder _as to _why _you've been deemed as a Slayer – a chosen one! But while you may be an _ace _at dusting vampires, I should inform you that _dinosaurs _are _another _– and a totally _different _– matter altogether! Permit me to _show _you what I mean!"

With the strength of a vice, Astaroth squeezes Buffy's left hand, crushing the Slayer's bones with a wet sickening crunch, heard everywhere in the room. Buffy didn't feel a thing at first because it all happened so fast, but after a second or so, she felt the agonizing pain hit her like a ton of bricks. When she did, Buffy released a blood-curdling scream; one so loud it outdid the sound of her own bones being crushed.

Her scream was one that puts 'King Kong' actress Fay Wray to shame.

"_Buffy!_", Yohko shouted, hearing her friend's inhuman scream & seeing her at Astaroth's mercy.

The Devil Hunter draws her sword & started to charge at the humanoid Tyrannosaurus, but Astaroth puts an end to _that _notion of her heroics by swinging his spiked tail at her once she got within range. Yohko gets smacked back by the blunt end of the tail, knocking her back to the stones & her sword gets embedded into the floor next to her, missing her forehead by a fraction of an inch.

"No help from the peanut gallery!", Astaroth says with a grin.

Buffy tried to move her left hand, but the bones within have all been broken beyond hope; it was so bad, she can't even _feel _it anymore, other than the swelling.

_My hand!_, Buffy thought through gritted teeth. _It feels like the bones have gotten crushed to powder!_

Turning back to the Slayer, Astaroth grabbed Buffy by the throat & raises her to eye level, giving her no chance to make a break for it. Her feet dangled from eight feet off the ground.

"Now then, my dear Buffy, where _were _we?", Astaroth says as Buffy uses her good hand to pry open the fingers off her before he could cause any further harm to her.

She was too late: with a move similar to a champion boxer, Astaroth slams Buffy full force right into one of the supporting pillars that were left undamaged before, breaking away numerous pieces as they rain down onto the marble floor. Astaroth then body-slams the helpless Slayer into the marble floor itself, creating a small crater in it. With utmost malevolent glee, the humanoid dinosaur slammed Buffy several more times into both the pillars & marble floor, each blow more powerful & devastating than the last, & every hit she received bruised her further.

Ayako watched first as Buffy & Yohko took on Astaroth on their own, giving their all as her twin Devil Hunter sliced the creature's hand off to remove one of the stones & make herself immune to their power, followed by Buffy's fighting prowess against the tyrannical Tyrannosaur.

Now she's watching the Slayer literally get her ass handed to her as Astaroth pummels the helpless fighter of the undead. Much as it hurts to view, Ayako had to admire Buffy's tenacity even as she gets the life beaten out of her.

But due to the power of the stones that really did a number on her & the rest, Ayako couldn't do anything at the moment – except to watch.

After more than a dozen times of body-slamming Buffy like a child might do with his/her toys during a temper tantrum, Astaroth puts the Slayer to his reptilian face: Buffy was covered with many black-&-blue bruises everywhere, her face swollen & various cuts adorned all over her body. She fought to stay conscious as her vision threatened to go permanently black. Barely able to keep her eyes open, the Slayer can smell Astaroth's foul stench of dinosaurian breath upon her as he exhales in her face, his mouth in a grin as he chuckled.

He savors the time of staring at his beaten & helpless prey.

"Although I _am _going to devour each & every one of you in here, I _almost _regret having to do so to both you & Yohko Mano, Buffy Summers!", Astaroth began. "Because of you both, our dinosaur dynasty will begin anew here in what remains of the Twentieth Century & into the next millennium, followed by every century afterwards! Talon & I _did _want you girls to bear witness our miraculous rebirth in this day & age in gratitude for _getting_ us that final stone we sought after so many centuries of searching! But we _knew _you two bitches would try to spoil our fun – which all of you nearly did, killing my second-in-command & breaking our resurrection spell!"

With whatever strength she could muster, Buffy raised her right hand & gave Astaroth the finger.

Having spent time as & learning about humans, the Slayer is pretty sure Astaroth was familiar with the gesture.

"Life's…a bitch, Astaroth", Buffy says, barely getting the words out.

"'And then you die', if I remember correctly, is that it?", the Tyrannosaur wondered. "Truer words have never been spoken, Miss Summers! I've always wondered if Vampire Slayer, as the humans say, 'tastes like chicken'! Time to find out!"

Astaroth opens his hunger maw, ready to take a big bite out of Buffy, who was clearly in no condition to escape from his grasp, prevent her dinosaurian enemy from tearing a chunk of flesh from her bones _or _fight back. She doesn't even know if Yohko & the others are still alive, making Buffy's chances for survival very slim to none.

Without her friends from Sunnydale or even Angel to assist her, Buffy's career as a Vampire Slayer could become one of the shortest of any one in her line of work.

The hungry maw of Astaroth came closer.

With a sick, wet sound, fresh blood is spilled.

Buffy is then dropped to the marble floor with a thud, unmoving as her face, shirt & pants were all drenched with red blood.

Time seemed to stand still for many long moments for everyone when, in reality, is only a few seconds after the Slayer was dropped to the floor: Buffy remained bloodied most everywhere, still as a corpse until she begins to open her eyes slowly. Sluggishly, she lifts her head up to discover that while she was spattered with so much blood, there are no teeth marks on her anywhere, let alone any of her flesh torn off.

She _also _discovers that the blood she's drenched in wasn't hers – any of it.

It was Astaroth's.

Looking up at the tyrannical saurian, Buffy saw a sword impaled through his neck from behind, with the front point sticking out as blood still spews from the mortal wound. Even _more _astounding is that the sword is Yohko's: from behind, the Devil Hunter saw Astaroth attempting to take a bite out of Buffy, thus she threw her weapon at the reptile, stopping him from having the Slayer as his dinner. With deadly accuracy, Yohko's sword hit its mark, penetrating his neck & most of his windpipe, giving the humanoid dinosaur much difficulty with breathing.

From both the intense loss of blood & lack of oxygen, Astaroth drops to his remaining hand & knees, gradually losing strength little by little. He tries to rise to his feet again, but that one move on Yohko's part with her sword really did a number on the saurian to be much of a threat anymore.

Astaroth couldn't even attempt to reach for & eat Buffy, who was literally lying right next to him.

Even the Azusa twins & Ayako could not believe that Yohko Mano – a ditz & clumsy fool to most people that know her – was able to bring down a powerful enemy with only one maneuver.

_They _were just as shocked & astonished as Astaroth himself was.

_I admit…that's a _damn _good shot!_, Ayako thought. _I guess I _do _underestimate her abilities too much after all!_

In an ironic twist of fate, as Astaroth loses strength, Malgamer tries to regain his even though the torture his arch-enemy put him through left him & his clan drained of their stamina. The humanoid Smilodon struggled to get on his feet, ignoring the pain as best he can.

Ayako put two & two together, & turned to her twin.

"Yohko!", she cried out. "The stone you removed before – throw it to Malgamer, _quick!_ Perhaps if _he _possessed their power…"

"Got it, Ayako!", Yohko called back, getting Astaroth's severed hand before placing it on the stone she was lucky enough to remove from the slab.

Like back at Mount Fuji, it weighed almost nothing even with the added weight of the reptilian hand.

"Here, Malgamer…_catch!_", Yohko shouted to the Manommal leader, throwing the stone with all her might as if it were a basketball or football. As the stone is hauled through the air, Astaroth attempts to reach for & grab it, as he knew it was his last chance to reclaim its power before it can fall into the hands of his enemy.

Ha fails: due to the puncture in his neck where Yohko's sword is still embedded in, Astaroth's speed & reflexes were slower than normal, making his efforts a vain one. Flying past the saurian, the stone ends up directly in the palm of Malgamer, as Yohko & the rest hoped.

"My _thanks _to you, Miss Yohko!", Malgamer says, holding the stone up in his right clawed hand above his head as it & the other stones shine anew.

"_Nooooooo!_", Astaroth yelled, gurgling blood as he does so, seeing that he is about to meet his demise.

"Yes, Astaroth! For millions of years, we've fought a never-ending battle between our races! In our _last _encounter before the stones became lost, you've eluded your _true_ punishment of being turned into nothing but a mere skeleton of your former self! And now, with the stones safely back in _my _possession…let your _real _sentencing commence!"

As the stones glared bright, bolts of golden lightning protruded like electric tentacles that stretched out beyond the mansion & even shot up into the skies above Tokyo. All over the city, the dinosaurs that were brought to life before due to Astaroth's possession of the stones all had their flesh dissolved before the eyes of startled/frightened Japanese & foreigners as they witnessed their demise where they stood. Each animal from the Mesozoic Era had its flesh & inner organs eaten away by the lightning bolts that seemingly came out of nowhere, disappearing like they were no more than kindling.

When all their organics were stripped away, the bones of each dinosaur & other prehistoric reptile collapsed like houses of cards in piles.

Their fate is the same that now befalls Astaroth & the deceased Talon, with the Manosaur leader howled in agony as his flesh dissolved away, leaving nothing but his skeleton behind. Even with poor eyesight, Buffy can see the beast getting his skin/inner organs disintegrating before her.

It was very reminiscent of seeing the Master Vampire suffering the same fate after Buffy threw him into the high school's skylight & impaled him onto a piece of wood through his heart.

Even in her weakened condition, it was _most _satisfying for Buffy to see.

Unlike Astaroth, Talon was lucky: _he _didn't feel a thing when his flesh was stripped away, for he was dead to begin with – gutted by Yohko herself.

Both Manosaurs were nothing but bare bones by the time Malgamer ceased the stones' glow & electrical surge, which also restored the strength & vitality of his clan members during that entire time as Bronto, Glypto & Megather all rose to their feet & rejoined their leader. As the dinosaurs themselves did, Astaroth & Talon's bones collapsed in a pile as Yohko willfully retrieved her sword back into her Demon Ring.

"Like Buffy told you, Astaroth…you don't _know _the human race very well!", Yohko said to what remained of the wicked dinosaur creature. She even so much as spat on the bones in disgust & hatred.

"Y-Yohko?", Buffy said weakly.

The sound of her name brought the Devil Hunter back to her friend.

"Buffy?!", Yohko cried, running to & cradling her in her arms. The Slayer tried to talk further & move, but Yohko stepped in. "No, Buffy…don't try to talk or move! Astaroth _really _did a number on you! But now that _Malgamer _is in possession of Astaroth's stones, we'll simply ask _him_ to heal you up with the power of the stones, & you'll…"

"I'm afraid it won't work, Yohko Mano", Malgamer says as he, his clan & the other Devil Hunters approached.

His answer stunned the Devil Hunter in red.

"What? Why not? You healed your own _clan _with those stones – I _saw _that!", Yohko protested, tears forming in her eyes. "_Surely _you can do the same for Buffy here…can't you?"

The original Azusa placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Like Malgamer said, they don't work that way", Glypto said.

"How do you mean?", the original Azusa wondered.

"It's like this, Azusa", Malgamer explains. "The truth of the matter is…_I _was the one who created the stones, _not _Astaroth."

Yohko & even Buffy – who _is _listening, despite her condition – were shocked by this bit of news.

"_You _created those stones?!", Yohko says. "We always thought that _Astaroth _was the one!"

"He told you a lie, Miss Mano", Malgamer went on. "During our brutal war that lasted for millions of years, we were gaining no advantage over his forces, despite how many of his troops we defeated. Therefore, with the help of _our _sorcerers who knew of the mystic arts, I had these stones created to help give _us _an edge & win our endless conflict. It was successful – at first. But during one battle, Astaroth's people managed to get their hands on each stone & brought them back to his lair, where he attempted to infuse them with dark magic from _his _sorcerers. He was only _half _successful: the positive energy within was only partially subdued by the negative, & they both intertwined with one another. Every attempt to cleanse them of the negative energy failed, keeping them in that condition to this day. Since then, the stones will perform either good or bad magic, depending upon whose race has custody of them."

"And _that's _why it won't work for human beings?"

"Or even heal them, correct. Were I to use the stones on Miss Summers to heal her, the energy would cause such agonizing pain & _kill _her, even with _me _in possession of them."

"Don't forget, little miss…our war between our people & Astaroth's went on _long before _any humans inhabited this planet", Bronto says, getting nods from the rest of the Manommals.

"So then, the stones can turn Astaroth & his people _into _humans, but it can't heal them", Yohko stated, getting another nod from the Manommals.

"And believe me – turning Astaroth & Talon into humans was _never _my intention", Malgamer says. "During our last encounter, I used the stones to disintegrate them both like I did most of his people. But when an earthquake struck, my concentration was cut when a tremor came close to me, & with that break, I unintentionally turned them both into the two humans they've masqueraded as for all these years before they escaped & my stones were lost. Like Astaroth & Talon did, my people & I searched for the stones, to no avail. Only until recently inside Mount Fuji did we find one of them which was guarded by our Smilodon & Andrewsarchus – when both you & Buffy came along."

A huge pang of guilt came across Yohko's face which weighed her down.

"Malgamer, Buffy & I don't know _what _to say – except that we are both _so sorry_", the Devil Hunter said. "Had we known _beforehand _that Astaroth & Talon were dinosaur people in human clothing, posing as Takao Yamamoto & his butler Taro, we _never _would've…"

The humanoid Smilodon held his hand up, silencing Yohko & curving his lips in what appeared to be a smile.

"You & Buffy Summers have nothing to be sorry for, Yohko Mano", he says. "We always knew the stones would one way or another turn up somewhere in the world. We just never thought Astaroth would be so conniving as to have humans help find & bring back to him that final stone, let alone a Devil Hunter _or _a Vampire Slayer."

Malgamer's last statement gave the Azusa twins _and _Ayako the mother of all surprises.

"_Vampire Slayer?!_", the trio said in unison, the shock clearly on their faces.

_No _wonder _she put up a damn good fight against Astaroth!_, Ayako said to herself.

"Yes – Buffy Summers _is _a Vampire Slayer", Yohko said. "A 'Chosen One', if you will. But further explanations can wait: we need to _help _her, & we need to do it _now_."

"How are we going to _do _that, Miss Yohko?", the original Azusa asked. "We're quite a distance from your home, & having Malgamer or _any _of his people race across the city to get her there is going to cause even _more _of a panic."

"She _does _raise a good point", Azusa #2 said. "People are _already _freaked out enough by seeing _dinosaurs _coming to life & prowling around Tokyo, feeding on hysterical human beings. They don't need to see any humanoid prehistoric mammal people adding to _that _particular fire."

"I _won't _let Buffy die – period!", Yohko said firmly. "I'll _get _her to my house so that grandma can patch her up, even if I have to _carry _her the entire way myself!"

"If I may, Miss Mano…I think I've come up with the perfect solution to _all _our problems", Malgamer says.

Every pair of eyes in the room turn to him as he lays out his plan.

**CHAPTER VIII**

_The Mano Residence, two hours later:_

Laying out his plan in full detail, Malgamer wasted no time in implementing it: using the stones' power upon his clan & himself, he transforms each member into a human being, similar to what he had unintentionally done to Astaroth & Talon long ago. The only difference is, unlike with the two Manosaurs, Malgamer & his clan were transformed into _young _humans, ranging in about the late 20s or early 30s in age. Getting Buffy & the 6 stones over to & inside the limo Talon drove both her & Yohko when _he _was still human, Malgamer & Megather first started a raging fire that will burn down the entire mansion & erase any & every trace of what went down within its walls.

Getting into the driver's seat, Malgamer started the vehicle with assistance from Ayako on giving him quick easy lessons of how to operate it. Amazingly, the Manommal leader took to the lessons like a fish to water, & drove the limo without a problem or a hitch.

Due to the chaos in the streets of Tokyo from the one-time rampaging dinosaurs, getting to Yohko's house took nearly two whole hours even by going the quickest route to avoid the thickest of it.

Soon as they arrived, Yohko & the original Azusa helped get Buffy inside, with Ayako & Azusa #2 following close in the rear. Malgamer & his troops remained in the limo as the ladies quietly entered the domicile.

Once they were inside, Yohko held up Buffy on her own as she instructed Azusa to gently wake up Madoka, who slept peacefully on the floor with only a blanket, sheet & pillow to rest upon. Quietly cutting off her breathing passages, Azusa made Madoka open her eyes & immediately placed a finger to her lips to remain quiet, as Sayako was still fast asleep upstairs. When Madoka saw that Ayako, Azusa #2 & even Buffy were inside her house, she quietly but firmly demanded what they were doing inside their humble abode.

Madoka _also _wondered what happened to Buffy, seeing the girl in her pulped/beaten condition.

Yohko explained by telling her that Buffy Summers is a Vampire Slayer, & promised that she will give a complete explanation of everything once she helps to heal her, as she was the only one who can.

Madoka didn't know what shocked her more: seeing Buffy in her horrid state, or the fact that she was a Vampire Slayer, a Chosen One.

Just like Yohko herself.

Hearing Yohko's pleas to help Buffy get well again _and _seeing the tears in both her & the original Azusa's eyes, Madoka offered to give the Vampire Slayer all the help she can.

But _not _without first issuing a warning to both Ayako & Azusa #2: should they reveal what they're about to see to her older sister Chiaki in any way, shape or form, Madoka mentioned there'd be hell to pay.

Ayako replied that they get it, keeping a straight face & showing no fear.

Madoka ended the argument, saying that she will hold to them on their promise.

That said, she guides everyone over to the computer & clicks the mouse attached. In that instant, a portion of the room started to sink into the floor, turning into an elevator of sorts. Before they knew it, they were inside a hidden room full of books, parchments & all other Devil Hunter necessities for Yohko & Azusa in their task of fighting/defeating all kinds of unearthly creatures. Ayako & Azusa #2 were astonished by it all, being nearly as impressive as what _they _have back at Chiaki's domicile but kept it to themselves.

Immediately Madoka set up a deflated air mattress as she unrolls & attaches it to a small electric pump before she switched it on & told Yohko & Azusa to lay her down upon it as it inflates. While that was going on, Madoka took an urn-like object the size of a medium pot & began filling it with some sort of yellow liquid & adding some ingredients into it, stirring until it became ready for use. By that time, the air mattress was filled to the max, & Madoka placed the pot of liquid next to it on Buffy's left before placing her hand within it. With a little soft chant, Madoka activated the liquid's healing properties as Buffy's whole body began getting covered in a golden aura which soothed her from head to toe.

The liquid also made her feel sleepy, but she was already out of it due to the intense pain.

Everyone – including Madoka – was amazed that the Slayer didn't succumb to her injuries, severe as they were.

She was definitely a fighter…something even Madoka can respect.

While Buffy rests upon the mattress & heals her body, the others gather into a circle on the other side of the room as the girls started explaining the day's events, from when Buffy was magically transported into Yohko's room right up to the final confrontation between them & Astaroth. Madoka was also informed on the Manommals war with their arch-enemies the Manosaurs that took place millions of years ago.

Even though absorbing every detail, Madoka _still _had trouble believing what occurred only a few hours ago.

But seeing the events unfolding on the late evening/early morning news gave no room for doubt, especially since it _did _tie in with the malevolent aura Madoka felt before sending Azusa out to combat it.

The sun rose up in the 5:00 a.m. hour on this Sunday morning, but the group remained hidden in the secret room, watching Buffy becoming healed from the urn of liquid her left hand was placed in. Even though they felt tired, none of them could begin to rest up as Yohko & the original Azusa were too worried for Buffy's welfare. Ayako & Azusa #2 simply watched out of curiosity, seeing a person who was similar to them in nature.

"Vampire Slayers", Ayako says. "I've _heard _about them. They're _not _all that _different _from _us_, are they?"

"Not really, Ayako", Madoka said. "I remember hearing about a saying I've once learned from _my_ old instructor. It went something like this: 'Into each generation, a Slayer is born. One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength & skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of evil'. This Buffy Summers is only one of many all across the globe, each one with her skills & abilities to tackle these creatures of the night & _other _dark forces. As for us Devil Hunters, our family tree is basically the only ones in existence right here in Japan, so _that's _more or less the _one _factor that separates us from them."

"Whoever would've thought that both our kinds would meet up & join forces to stop what could've been quite a catastrophe", said the original Azusa.

"I wonder if _her _family knows that Miss Summers hunts & kills things that go bump in the night", says Azusa #2.

"They don't", Yohko says. "Buffy told me that her parents are _keenly _unaware about her Slayer heritage, & thus plans on _keeping _it that way even though they got divorced because of it."

"Is that why you also keep your Devil Hunter heritage from _your _own mother, Yohko?", Ayako asked.

The Devil Hunter in red nodded.

Ayako didn't say anything more on the matter.

She wouldn't have been able to anyway: Buffy started to regain consciousness as her moaning became heard by all as Yohko & everyone else rushed over to see the Slayer open her eyes & rise up from the mattress. When Buffy saw her left hand was placed inside a pot of some kind filled with yellow glowing liquid, she took it out & looked at it: the hand was completely healed with no signs of injury on it anywhere.

Making a fist with her left hand felt normal, with no areas of pain.

"Buffy!", Yohko cried.

"Miss Summers!", Azusa cried.

Both ladies helped the Slayer to her feet before getting into a quick group hug, satisfied to see their friend doing a lot better than she was a few hours ago.

"How do you feel, Miss Summers?", asked Azusa #2.

Buffy hesitated a moment or two before answering.

"I feel…great. Strong. No 'owies' anywhere."

"You're even _looking _a lot better than when Yohko & Azusa first brought you in, dearie!", Madoka said with a smile on her face. "Go take a peek in the mirror & see for yourself!"

Breaking away from Yohko & Azusa, Buffy walked over to a small circular mirror & looked into it. Like Madoka said, Buffy couldn't see a single cut, bruise or anything else upon her face even in the slightest. She doesn't even feel any kind of pain on her face, from swelling of the skin to a simple headache. Checking her body, Buffy found that even her clothes were cleaned & without the smallest cuts/rips.

To get further proof, Buffy performed several moves (i.e. kicks, punches, etc.) to be certain that nothing was sore or stiff anyplace on her person. With every maneuver she did, the Slayer felt like she was at the pinnacle of her stamina, & even felt a great sense of rejuvenation.

Finally convinced & satisfied, Buffy grinned pleasingly.

"Like I said – no owies", she announced, facing Madoka & her smile faded. "_You're _the one who healed me?"

"Guilty as charged", Madoka replied, grinning while holding her hand up in a 'peace' sign. "It's the _least _I can do, Buffy Summers, after Yohko here informed me that you're a Vampire Slayer of all things – something _I _definitely know a thing or two about."

"While you were getting healed up, Miss Summers, we each gave Yohko's grandmother a rundown on the events leading up to Astaroth's defeat", Ayako explains. "Yohko even filled us in on the adventures _you've _had in your town of Sunnydale, California in America."

Buffy turned to Yohko upon hearing this.

"They _deserved _to know, Buffy", Yohko quickly explained. "Like my grandmother just said, Devil Hunters & Vampire Slayers aren't too different. Our _heritage _may slightly differ, but we're like one big family, in a way. Besides, it was more or less the only way to save your life. No _way _was I going to let you die – again."

The Slayer stood in silence as she listened to Yohko: when Xander Harris & even Willow Rosenberg first heard of her heritage, Buffy was just as reluctant to let them get involved in her life-threatening activities as she was getting back to her role as the Slayer. But she found that they were quite useful in her quest, from saving the folks at the Bronze from the Harvest to when Xander found her lying dead in the Master's domain with Angel, giving her mouth-to-mouth which revived her in time to stop the Master's forces from conquering Earth.

Having Yohko's grandmother, young apprentice & 'cousin' Ayako & _her _young sidekick being filled in on her true nature was no different.

And time _was _of the essence in saving her life. Which she did.

With a warm smile, Buffy nodded.

"You & everybody else here did that, Yohko", she replied. "And I won't _ever _forget it."

Everyone in the room smiled at Buffy's statement, knowing it to be true on so many levels.

Even Ayako, who's usually unmoved by sentiments like this, was exactly that – moved.

She even developed a great deal of respect for her, including for Yohko.

_For all her blundering, Yohko _did _put up a decent fight against Astaroth & even gave him the finishing blow that helped us _win _that fight_, Ayako thought. _And Buffy Summers…what can I say? She's _quite _the natural!_

Ayako can only imagine what _her _grandmother Chiaki would think of the Vampire Slayer from Sunnydale.

It'll probably be a mystery that would never get solved.

With Buffy, she didn't feel so alone anymore: armed with the knowledge that she isn't the _only _one in the world with monster-killing duties, she feels more surrounded, more 'belonged', as it were. Despite being half a world away from this band of monsters hunters & slayers, Buffy feels a strong kinship with Yohko & the rest, making her accept her role of Slayer more.

_How ironic_, Buffy thought. _At first I was a complete stranger here in Tokyo. But now? I'm something like part of an enormous family. Speaking of…_

"This is _so great!_", Yohko exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the Slayer from behind. "We have a _new member _in our midst! After all…whoever said Devil Hunters & Vampire Slayers can't join up on a regular basis, am I right?"

"I can't", Buffy said.

"With Buffy in our midst, we can both be like…huh?"

Buffy got loose from Yohko's grip & turned to face her, the sadness/regret on her face.

"I said I can't, Yohko", Buffy said apologetically, leaving Yohko stunned & saddened.

"But why not, Buffy?", the Hunter asked. "Don't you think that we all make a great team?"

The Slayer gently took Yohko's hands in hers & looked at her with motherly eyes.

"Of course I do, Yohko", Buffy stated. "We made a _terrific _team: you, me, the Azusa twins _and_ Ayako. While it _was _life-threatening to us all, I felt a strong feeling of kinship between us, & _that _helped us to win on this day. But me staying here on a permanent basis can't happen: like you & Ayako, I have a family back home despite my parents both being divorced. And that's not to mention the friends I have at my new school: Giles, Miss Calendar, Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Angel…there's no way I can just abandon them any more than you or I can escape what we were both meant to be, no matter how much it may hurt to admit it. First & foremost, _you're _the Devil Hunter, & _I'm _the Vampire Slayer."

Yohko hung her head in sorrow, looking as if she was about to cry.

"Story of our lives it seems, huh?", she said in a melancholy tone.

"Looks that way", Buffy says before gently raising her head up. "We've both faced things that most people our age can only _dream _about. And if beings like the Master Vampire, time demon Tokima, or even Astaroth & Talon are just a _prelude _of the evil that's out there in the world, then people like us are going to be needed much more than ever."

Yohko looked at Buffy in the eyes as she listened to her words: like her, all she's ever wanted was to live normally & worry about getting dates, being late for school, & fool around with her friends. But then she thought of what good _any _of it would be if creatures that people only previously read about in fairy tales came to life & began making life all but impossible for people to cope, with nobody to stop them?

_Somebody _has to do it, & Yohko Mano is one of those people best qualified for the job, even if she doesn't know her full power/potential.

If there's _anybody _capable of understanding her dilemma, it's Buffy Summers.

"And besides, Miss Yohko", Azusa says, entering her train of thought. "What kind of person _would _you be if you were to keep Miss Summers from her friends back home, let alone her own flesh & blood?"

"I'd say more of a monster than the ones we're all sworn to stop, I should think", Buffy says with a smirk.

"Mm, touche", Yohko says, giving a smirk of her own.

Both ladies share a small giggle.

"Now all we need to do is to get you _home_, Buffy Summers", Azusa #2 said. "Do you have enough for a plane ticket back to Los Angeles?"

"Being sent here so suddenly, I forgot to bring some cash, Azusa #2", Buffy stated.

"You might not _need_ any, Miss Summers", Ayako said. "Since you _were_ brought here by magical means, maybe you can get returned to your home in the very same manner."

Ayako's suggestion gave the Slayer & the group new hope.

"What say you, Madoka?", Buffy asks, facing her. "Think _you _can whip up a spell that can send me home in that manner?"

"Of _course _I can, Buffy!", Madoka says with unfettered confidence. "I _am _a former professional Devil Hunter, after all! Why, at one time, I went and…"

"Yeah yeah, grandma!", Yohko cut in rudely, interrupting her banter. "She's asking you for a teleportation spell to send her home, _not _hear about your life's story!"

"Okay okay! Sheesh! Kids today really _don't _have any respect for their elders!", Madoka grumbled as she headed for a cabinet that held various ingredients & other items. The original Azusa assisted her.

Yohko went over to Buffy.

"I tell you, Buffy", the Hunter whispered low. "If the creatures of the night we face don't kill me, that old geezer most definitely _will_."

"Elders _are _a handful, Yohko", Buffy whispered back. "Take it from someone who knows."

"Likewise", Ayako & Azusa #2 chimed in.

The four girls smiled at each other, having yet _another _thing in common other than their shared destinies.

Different in nationality, yet very much alike.

_Ten minutes later:_

Along with the ingredients, Madoka & Azusa needed to boil a pot on a portable burner to simmer whatever she needs to throw into it & activate the spell that will allow Buffy Summers to get herself teleported back to the room in Los Angeles she was in before being summoned in Japan. Azusa placed candles in a circle after drawing a pentagram which measured a meter in circumference & lighting each one. Madoka opened the jars of ingredients & started tossing each one in, announcing every one as she does.

"Okay, lemme see here, hmmm", she begins. "We've got special herbs, a little hex powder, a piece of Buffy's hair, a lucky charm for extra protection, check. Now for the really _essential _ingredients: pig's liver, chicken's heart, a pair of salamander's eyeballs, lizard's scales, cow's urine, some rat's brains, a piece of deer's pancreas…"

Hearing the organic ingredients was making Ayako, Azusa #2, Yohko & Buffy sick to their stomachs – _especially _since the latter two spent actual time _in _the stomach of a large humanoid dinosaur after being captured & reeled into it.

"Does she _really _have to say that shit out loud?", Ayako says, getting annoyed & queasy from hearing it all.

"I _know_, right?", Buffy & Yohko say in unison, feeling their gorge rising from listening to it.

They were barely able to keep their lunches down.

"Okay, we're ready to pop!", Madoka announced. "Buffy…simply stand right inside the circle, & we'll send you on your way, sweetie!"

_Finally!_, Buffy thought, glad to be heading back to her _own _home.

She's _equally _glad that the elder Mano was done announcing what she was throwing into her pot!

Doing as Madoka instructed, Buffy stood within the circle as the elderly Mano began chanting in a language the Slayer never heard before. She recalls when her Watcher Giles concocted a similar procedure to have Amy Madison exchanged back into her original young body when her mother Catherine took it from her.

Buffy's glad to _not _fool around with magic: one misstep can have the most dire of consequences, therefore she'll always leave the hocus pocus to experts like Rupert Giles.

And she _prays _that Madoka Mano _also _knows what the hell she's doing!

Finally, Madoka utters a single word that created a puff of smoke that obscured Buffy from everyone's sight.

When the smoke cloud cleared, they were astonished to find Buffy still standing there – dressed up in a Japanese SDF uniform, complete with assault rifle.

Madoka chanted the word again, creating _another _cloud of smoke that hid the Slayer from view.

This time, she's dressed in an officer's uniform.

With every utter of the magic word from Madoka, Buffy gets attired in a different outfit/costume.

On _this _attempt, Buffy is attired in a Japanese school student's outfit.

POOF!

Buffy is in attire once worn by Janis Joplin.

POOF!

Buffy is in Elvis Presley's iconic white outfit with American eagle on the back from his 1973 'Aloha from Hawaii' special. Shades & guitar complete the look.

POOF!

Buffy wears Batgirl's outfit.

POOF!

Buffy wears Supergirl's outfit.

POOF!

Buffy wears Wonder Woman's outfit, complete with magic lasso.

POOF!

Buffy wears Green Lantern's outfit.

POOF!

Buffy wears Captain America's outfit, complete with star-spangled shield.

POOF!

Buffy wears Iron Man's suit of armor with faceplate lifted up.

POOF!

Buffy wears Thor's outfit, complete with Mjolnir hammer.

POOF!

Buffy is attired in torn rags & emerald flesh, imitating She-Hulk.

POOF!

Buffy wears a 1950s teenager outfit.

POOF!

Buffy is in a clown outfit, complete with painted face & balloons in one hand.

POOF!

Buffy is in a black Mistress' outfit, complete with whip.

Yohko, Ayako & the Azusa twins watched with agape eyes at each transformation Buffy went through, each one utterly speechless.

"_Grandma!_", Yohko barked as Buffy was returned back to her pink shirt & brown pants with another 'poof'.

"I simply don't understand", Madoka consulted with herself, ignoring her granddaughter's outburst. "It should've worked. Maybe there's something still missing that I overlooked. Let me see, hmmm…"

Almost instantly, the answer came to her, & Madoka smiled bashfully.

"Oh, dopey me!", she says. "I forgot to put in the _frog's intestines! _Be right back!"

It was the last straw: unable to keep it down any further, Buffy & Yohko ran on over to the far corner with their hands covering their mouths. Reaching the corner, they each unload their lunch in a single hurl that hits the floor in an undigested mess.

Ayako & the Azusa twins made a sour face at the display.

"Gross", Ayako said plainly.

"Can't _blame _them, though", said Azusa #2.

"No, I guess not."

Madoka, however, was indifferent to their condition.

"Was it something I said?", she asked with a bashful grin.

Azusa simply looked at her with a glare…and not a very _pleasant _one at that!

"You _know _I'm _not _cleaning that up, right?", she said.

The elder Mano still grinned sheepishly.

_A swipe of a jar later:_

Having grabbed the final ingredient from the trove, Madoka tossed it in & chanted the spell again. Everyone kept their fingers crossed that the old Devil Hunter gets the spell done _correctly _this time.

If she didn't, there'd be _hell _to pay!

Much to their relief, it _did _get done correctly: when Madoka uttered the word, the pentagram lit up like a gigantic light bulb pulsating with golden energy. Buffy & the rest had to shield their eyes due to the brightness, but once their eyes adjusted, they saw the pentagram shining to a more reasonable level of illumination.

"This is it? Are you _sure_ this time?", Buffy asked Madoka, curious yet cautious & a tad nervous.

"That's it, Buffy…positive!", Madoka replied. "All you need to do is simply step right in…and off you go!"

Buffy nods & prepares to do as the elderly Mano instructed but turned to see Yohko approach when she heard footsteps behind her. The two girls stare at each other for several moments, each one feeling as if they're about to lose a piece of herself, considering the both of them share so much. Holding out her arms, Buffy embraced the Devil Hunter as Yohko sheds a tear or two, knowing her soulmate will be gone physically in just mere moments.

"Thanks, Buffy", Yohko sobbed.

"No, thank _you_, Yohko", Buffy said, tears forming in her own eyes. She wiped them away before looking at the Devil Hunter in the eye. "While we're stuck with our jobs & they _do _have dire consequences at times, at least we both can take comfort knowing that neither of us is alone."

"_We'll _say", Ayako said as she & the Azusa twins came up to the Slayer. Yohko's twin offered her hand, which the Slayer took. "Buffy Summers? Just as my cousin Yohko did, you showed _some moves _back there taking on Astaroth & never giving up, even when you were at death's door for a second time. I've _never _seen such valor & determination in a Vampire Slayer _or _a Devil Hunter in all my life."

"And Yohko & I owe you & the Azusa twins _our _lives, Ayako: had you & your party not arrived when you did, Astaroth could very well have _conquered _us, along with the _world _afterwards. As for Malgamer & his people…wherever they head off to, may their lives be filled with happiness & wonder."

"We'll be sure to relay your message to them, Miss Summers!", said Azusa #2.

The Slayer nodded before announcing she'd best be on her way.

"Safe journey, Miss Summers!", the original Azusa says. "Do try to come back & visit us if you can!"

"I'll certainly try, Azusa!", Buffy says, stepping onto the pentagram as she slowly sinks into it while it rises from the floor. "And hey: should any of you happen to be in or near Sunnydale, California in the United States…"

"We'll look you up!", Yohko, Ayako & the Azusa twins call out.

They were able to get their answer out to her just before Buffy got swallowed up by the glowing light, reaching her head until she was totally gone from sight, leaving no trace of her. Once she completely vanished, the pentagram ceased its glow & disappeared as well, fulfilling its purpose.

Although saddened by her departure, Yohko gets something of a fresh & renewed sense of duty, seeing that she's no longer alone in monster-killing, even though she still has her cousin & her young sidekick like she does.

Yohko Mano has a new kindred spirit among her.

Her name is Buffy Anne Summers.

_Just like Azusa said…safe travels home, Buffy_, Yohko thought, missing the Slayer already.

A noise from Madoka's throat caused Yohko to face her grandmother as she points to the vomited mess over at the corner.

"Care to clean that up, Yohko?", she said with a demanding face.

The Devil Hunter's face turned red with rage, believing she had the gall to tell her to mop up the vomit both she & Buffy were forced to unleash after hearing the gross ingredients Madoka blurted aloud.

"We'll…lend a hand", Ayako said, making Yohko nod with joy as she sees she won't have to endure it alone.

The three ladies got right to work.

_Outside the residence, seven minutes later:_

Using rubber gloves each, Yohko, Azusa #2 & Ayako were finished cleaning up in close to five minutes before putting everything away, going topside to the upper level & heading out to see Malgamer & his now-human-shaped clan still sitting in the limo, awaiting the Devil Hunter troupe.

After waiting for word a few hours, said people came out of the house, each dressed in civilian clothes.

Malgamer & his clan stepped out of the vehicle as Malgamer – disguised as an African-American with a short crop of hair & attired in a blue suit – came up to the group with his clan right behind.

Each of Malgamer's men were given the guise of Japanese citizens wearing different-colored business suits.

"How did it go in there?", Malgamer asked.

"Buffy's fully healed & on her way back home as we speak, Malgamer", Yohko said proudly.

The newly-disguised Manommals grinned at this bit of good news.

"So, now that _you _all became human, what will you & your clan _do_, Malgamer?", asked Azusa.

"I'd say travel the world & learn about it from the _surface_ rather than _beneath_ it", he replied.

"It _will _be challenging, but having lived on this planet for millions of years, it's time we got a first-hand look at what we've missed all this time", said Glypto. "'No time like the present', as you humans would say."

Both groups grinned at the former humanoid Glyptodon warrior's little joke.

"Miss Buffy Summers wanted to wish you all safe travels on your journey, & so do we", Azusa #2 said, getting nods from all.

"We shan't disappoint her…_or _any of _you_", Malgamer said before heading back into the driver's seat. "Farewell, Devil Hunters…and thanks again, to you _and _Miss Buffy Summers."

The Hunters group waved off the limo after Malgamer started the engine & drove off into the early morning sun.

They were gone from sight in moments.

"Perhaps _we'd _better do the same thing, Azusa #2", Ayako said.

"Wait, Ayako", Yohko says, stopping her before she & her sidekick could depart. "Why not have you here for some breakfast first before you go? My mom's a dynamite cook."

Yohko & Azusa's twins stared in disbelief at her request.

"Let me get this straight, Yohko", Ayako says. "You're actually…_inviting _us for breakfast? Even though Azusa #2 & I once tried to…"

"That's all in the past", Yohko countered. "What's important now is that we look forward to a brighter future between us, especially now that we've met someone of a different yet similar background as us."

"Granny Chiaki may not _like _us being on good relations with you, Miss Yohko", Azusa #2 said. "She _did _train us to _beat _you & become the _true _108th Devil Hunters, don't forget."

"Like I said, that's past tense, Azusa #2. Besides, Chiaki _doesn't _have to _like _the idea. She just has to see she has no _choice _in the matter. Whether she realizes it or not, we're all not just Devil Hunters…we're family. Period."

Madoka let out a heartfelt laugh.

"_That's _my Yohko!", she proudly muses. "How I'd _love _to see _her _wrinkly face by having my granddaughter tell _that_ old battle-axe you don't mess with _this _here family – even if you _are _a member of it!"

Ayako looked to Yohko as Madoka kept laughing.

"You _are _smarter than you look, cousin", she says. "Azusa #2 & I _could _use some nourishment after a long, hard night of fighting dinosaur people."

"_And _I think it's time you two met my mom, Ayako. Let's go inside", Yohko said.

Nodding, they follow her to the house to begin their day with a good breakfast.

Madoka follows close behind, still laughing from her thoughts of humiliating her older sister.

The young Devil Hunters ignored her as best they could.

_Hank Summers' apartment, Los Angeles:_

Buffy felt what she just experienced be played out like it was only a dream: one moment she was inside the home of professional Devil Hunters in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, & the next she's now back in the room her father Hank prepared for her in his Los Angeles apartment, having magically appeared sitting atop her bed. The radio she left on is now playing the end of 'Witchy Woman', sung by the Eagles with Don Henley on lead. When the song finishes, it got replaced by the DJ as Buffy turned it off & lied back down on her bed, relieved to be back in her summer home again.

Her day went from a Sunday morning in Tokyo to a Saturday evening in Los Angeles, suddenly realizing Japan is more than half a day ahead of the States. From the vigorous experience _she's _had in Godzilla's homeland, Buffy felt like she could sleep for the rest of the existing summer; not a bad idea for someone who's spent the day/night fighting giant humanoid dinosaurs that wished to repopulate the planet with their species, which would've spelled certain doom for humanity if they succeeded.

Thanks to her, Yohko Mano & a handful of others, they didn't.

Sleep would have to wait: the sound of the front door opening caught her attention as a male's voice called her name.

It was her father Hank's.

"Buffy?", he called out.

"Dad?", Buffy replied back, rising to her feet with renewed strength & happiness at the sound of his voice.

Exiting her room, she found her father in the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo, how was _your_…", Hank started to say before Buffy ran to & wrapped her arms around him in a big bear hug. Touched, Hank returned the gesture before they released one another.

"Dad", Buffy said. "Sorry, I just…how come you're home? I thought you had something of an emergency over at work, & that you couldn't make it back until Sunday – tomorrow night."

"Oh, that", Hank said. "Turns out it wasn't that big, so they only kept me & a handful of others there for a few hours before sending us all home. Meaning that I'm free until Monday morning."

"That's great! So…why don't we catch a movie tonight, spend some quality father-daughter time?"

"A splendid idea, Buffy!", Hank said, unraveling the newspaper he had tucked under his arm. "It says here 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' is still playing in a couple theaters. Why don't we catch that?"

Buffy froze as if she was blasted with intense cold.

"What's wrong, hon?", Hank asked, seeing her expression.

"Um…why don't we go for 'George of the Jungle' instead?", Buffy intervened, thinking fast. "I, uh, happened to catch the 'Jurassic Park' sequel while you were still at work earlier. Besides, I've always _loved _the cartoon when I was little. Remember?"

Hank grinned, recalling those memories.

"How could I forget?", he said. "You even tried to _be _George as you swung from the curtains, getting you put in your room without supper that night."

Buffy grinned herself, though it was more a nervous one.

Hank laughed.

"Relax, Buffy", he says. "You were a child then, living out a fantasy like all others your age. Besides, you only live once, so live in the moment: you never know when the day you're living in might be your last. Know what I mean?"

"You bet", Buffy replied.

"But yeah…'George of the Jungle' it is. I saw the next showing's at 6:00 this evening, so let's both take a shower & get ourselves refreshed & cleaned up for the occasion before we get on our way?"

"Sure. Wanna go first?"

"If you insist."

Kissing her daughter on the forehead, Hank went off to get fresh towels before hopping in the shower, leaving Buffy by herself in the kitchen.

It's exactly what she wanted at the moment: her heart accelerated & nearly burst like a balloon when her father suggested seeing Steven Spielberg's sequel to his dinosaur giant only four years ago. After the adventure _she's _just had with Devil Hunter Yohko Mano & a handful of others in the area of Tokyo, Japan, the Vampire Slayer has seen enough hungry, flesh-eating dinosaurs & _other _prehistoric monsters therein to last her until the next Ice Age comes around.

_Sorry dad, but _no _dinosaurs for _me_…not for the _next _65-70 million years or so!_, Buffy thought before heading over to the phone, picking up the receiver & dialing a number.

It gets picked up on the opposite end after two rings.

"Hello, mom? It's me", she began. "Oh no, nothing's wrong with me & dad, not in the slightest. In fact, we'll be heading out later tonight to the movies, & possibly dinner afterwards. I simply called because…I merely wanted to hear your voice, as I've missed hearing it after some time. I also called to tell you…that I love you."

Hearing her mother's reply made Buffy smile back.

More likely Buffy _needed _to hear her mother's voice, & it was working like a charm: already her fear & anger of her 'dinosaur dilemma' in Japan was melting away, & while it's an experience she won't soon forget (like her 'death' at the hands of the Master, among her other adventures), it comforts her to know where se can turn to in the most harsh & unnerving of moments, despite the fact that neither Hank nor Joyce are aware that their very own daughter is a killer of vampires & other things that go bump in the night.

Because now, even the creatures of the night have something to fear – _two _somethings.

Vampire Slayers & Devil Hunters.

At the moment, she just wants to be Buffy Anne Summers & spend time with her family.

That's the most important thing to her right now.

**EPILOGUE**

_The ruins of Takao Yamamoto's mansion, Tokyo, Japan, Southern Chiba District, early September:_

The strange events that occurred in late July were all but forgotten as the citizens did their best to cope with the dinosaur disaster, with each skeleton that was found on the city streets were carefully/meticulously removed & later on reassembled in their proper places where they broke out of after coming to life.

Most of what occurred was kept out of the evening news, as requested by the Prime Minister himself.

Over at the ruins of Takao Yamamoto's mansion, ground crews sifted through the burned husk of what was once a glorious mansion, hoping to find survivors of any kind.

For more than a month, all they found were bones scattered.

Human & otherwise.

The man in charge of the operation – a man in a gray business suit with clear glasses over his eyes – felt his hopes of finding anyone alive fade as swiftly as a morning mist under the sun. After a week or two, he believed survivors were nil.

Worse, he feared that Takao Yamamoto himself & his entire staff died when the place burned down – almost like everyone suddenly vanished without leaving a single trace: no messages, no phone calls to or from him, no anything.

Like the rest of his crew, he had to assume that Yamamoto was just as dead as the others whose remains _had _been found, & without proper testing, he couldn't begin to guess which bones were his.

His thoughts were interrupted when one of his men came walking up to him.

"Mr. Tanaka? There's some people here to see you, sir", he said.

"What _kind _of people?", he asked.

"I asked, sir, but they wouldn't say. They specifically said that they would _only _speak with _you_."

Letting out a breath he held, he nodded.

"Where are they?", Tanaka asked.

"Oh, don't bother coming to _us_, Mr. Tanaka", said a man in his early 50s, who was accompanied by three others: a woman & two other men, with one of them looking Asian in nationality.

"We'll save you the trouble & come to _you _instead",, said the Asian man.

Tanaka turned to his man & politely dismissed him.

Nodding, the man turned & took off to resume his duties.

"Well, you've got what you wanted", Tanaka said. "You wished to see me, & here you are. Now, if it isn't too much trouble…mind if I ask what the hell you _want _from me?"

"We understand you've made some…interesting discoveries while sifting through the rubble in what remains of Mr. Takao Yamamoto's mansion", the elderly man said.

"If you're referring to the multitude of _bones _we've discovered…"

"As a matter of fact…that's _exactly _why we're here", the woman said. "You see, along with all the human bones you folks have conjured up, there were also bones of a _non-human _origin, & the ones that _we're _most interested in…are _those _two."

The woman pointed with two fingers at the two fully-completed skeletons that were laying on the floor: the first one measured 14 feet tall, while the other one was 20 feet in height, minus the tails.

Tanaka looked at the two skeletons before turning back to the quartet.

"What _about _them?", he asked. "Aside from the fact that they're burned yet completed in full, far as _we _can tell."

"It's very simple, Mr. Tanaka", said the young American man with black hair. "We would like to _purchase _these two fine masterpieces."

"Purchase them?"

"Yes sir", said the Asian man. "We are, shall we say, collectors of rare artifacts, & these two look to be very rare specimens found nowhere else. And since we are huge _admirers _of Mr. Takao Yamamoto, from his work in charity to the stock markets, we felt we _owe _it to the man & keep at least _something _of his & preserve his memory."

"Your people haven't exactly _found _Mr. Yamamoto yet, have you?", asked the American.

Tanaka shook his head.

"The human bones we found could very well _be _Mr. Yamamoto", he says. "But without proper tests to be certain, we have to assume that any of them _could _be him."

"Our condolences to his family", said the woman. "But that's exactly _why _we wish to purchase those two & add them to our collection – to keep his memory alive & remind everyone of what he once stood for."

Tanaka gave the matter thought: considering the reputation he had, it _would _be nice (& noble) to have _somebody _help keep Takao Yamamoto's memory alive & strong, especially since all signs indicate that he died in the fire, along with whoever else was caught in the inferno.

What's more, there wasn't much left of his antiques collection either, having been mostly burned beyond repair or recognition.

"I understand wanting to keep his legacy alive, & I sure _appreciate _your efforts in wanting to", Tanaka replied. "And how will you be _paying _for the clean-up & delivery of these treasures?"

The elderly man dug into his coat pocket & pulled out a check which he handed to him.

Taking the offered check, Tanaka was astonished at the amount it was offering.

It was a sum of $10,000,000.00.

He looked up at the quartet.

"I must say, this is…", Tanaka started to say.

"A rather generous offer", said the woman. "It will _more _than cover the cost of delivery, with a hefty bonus to do with as you please. And don't worry about cleaning the bones first: we've got people back home who can take care of that themselves. All _you _& your people need to do is to get them safely delivered."

"And where, exactly, will we be sending them to?"

"Wolfram & Hart", said the elderly man. "In the city of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. You will,, of course, arrange it?"

Looking at the check & back to the quartet, Tanaka nodded.

"My people & I will get to work on it right away", he said proudly.

"Excellent", said the young American man. "Thank you, Mr. Tanaka."

Nodding, the Japanese man took off to begin.

The quartet approached the two skeletons & stop only three feet away.

Each one had a sinister smile on their faces.

"They're even _more _magnificent up close!", said the Asian.

"And now…they belong to us", said the young American. "Just wait until the others back home see what _we've _picked up!"

Both men share a chuckle of pure evil.

"Hard to believe these two powerful entities were actually taken down & beaten by two young girls", the woman said. "If I hadn't seen the feedback myself, I never would've believed it. Not once."

"The Vampire Slayer & Devil Hunter actually did us a favor, my dear", said the elderly man. "They've made it much easier for us to put them in our possession. And when the time is right, these two creatures known as Astaroth & Talon will both become incredible assets to our organization – whether they _want_ to be or _not_."

The woman nodded as she & her group stared at the skeletons of Astaroth & Talon, each one with every piece of them closely together in neat piles with not a single claw or tooth missing. The four people from the Wolfram & Hart company – Lindsay McDonald, Gavin Park, Lilah Morgan & Holland Manners – were overjoyed to see their remains, charred or not, to be two whole sets which are now theirs to do with as they see fit.

Every precaution will be issued to preserve these prized possessions.

Wolfram & Hart has _big _plans for them.

**THE END…?**

**This story is also dedicated to the victims/survivors of the Sri Lanka attack on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 that claimed the lives of 250 people & injuring hundreds more. Our thoughts & prayers go out to everyone who had lost loves ones from this unprovoked attack by cowardly terrorists. **

**MEMORIALS:**

2005 Memorials:

Pope John Paul II, Head of Catholic Church & Sovereign of Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005, 84 (1920-2005)

Debra Hill, Film Producer Best Known for Collaborating with Director John Carpenter, 54 (1950-2005)

George Lewis Scott, Co-Founder of Blind Boys of Alabama Gospel Group, 75 (1929-2005)

Nicole DeHuff, Actress Best Known for 2000's 'Meet the Parents', 30 (1975-2005)

Joanne Brough, Television Producer & Executive, 77 (1927-2005)

Danny Joe Brown, Lead Singer of Southern Rock Group Molly Hatchet, 53 (1951-2005)

Joseph MacKay, Baseball Author, 68 (1936-2005)

Betsy Cronkite, Wife of CBS News Anchorman Walter Cronkite, 89

Prentice Gautt, Football Player for the University of Oklahoma & the NFL, 67 (1938-2005)

Bobby Short, Cabaret Singer & Pianist, 80 (1924-2005)

David Little, College & Professional NFL Player, 46 (1959-2005)

Jackie Donahue, Sister of Rapper Nelly, 31

Barney Martin, Actor & Comedian Best Known as Seinfeld's Dad on Self-Named TV Series, 82 (1923-2005)

Bob Casey, Longtime Announcer for MLB's Minnesota Twins, 79 (1925-2005)

Paul Henning, Creator of 'The Beverly Hillbillies' TV Sitcom, 93 (1911-2005)

Paul Hester, Television Personality & Drummer for Split Enz & Crowded House Groups, 46 (1959-2005)

Johnnie Cochran Jr., Legendary Lawyer Best Known for Defending O.J. Simpson in Trial Case, 67 (1937-2005)

Marius 'Lefty' Russo, Pitcher for New York Yankees, 90 (1914-2005)

Milton Green, World-Record Hurdler, 91 (1913-2005)

Frank Perdue, Plucky Chicken Salesman & President/CEO of Perdue Farms, 84 (1920-2005)

Mitch Hedberg, Offbeat Stand-Up Comedian, 37 (1968-2005)

Greg Garrison, Emmy-Winning Producer-Director of Television, 81 (1924-2005)

Jack Keller, Pop Songwriter, Composer & Record Producer, 68 (1936-2005)

Saul Bellow, Nobel & Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, 89 (1915-2005)

Rainier III, Prince of Monaco for Almost 56 Years, 81 (1923-2005)

Dale Messick, Comic Strip Artist who Created 'Brenda Starr', 98 (1906-2005)

Akira Yoshizawa, Ambassador/Grandmaster of the Art of Origami, 94 (1911-2005)

Yoshitaro Nomura, Famed Japanese Director, Producer & Screenwriter, 85 (1919-2005)

Debralee Scott, Actress Best Known for Starring in Many Television Sitcoms, 52 (1953-2005)

Onna White, Award-Winning Choreographer & Dancer, 83 (1922-2005)

Johnnie Johnson, Rock & Roll Pioneer with Chuck Berry, 80 (1924-2005)

George Molchan, Spokesperson Known for Playing Little Oscar for Oscar Meyer Meat Company, 82 (1922-2005)

Sam Mills, Professional NFL Linebacker, 45 (1959-2005)

Herm Gilliam, Professional NBA Player, 58 (1946-2005)

Salvadore 'Tutti' Camarata, Big Band Musician & Arranger, 91 (1913-2005)

John Mills, Oscar-Winning Actor, 97 (1908-2005)

Ruth Hussey, Actress Best Known for 1940's 'The Philadelphia Story', 93 (1911-2005)

Johnny Sample, Professional NFL Defensive Back, 67 (1937-2005)

Earl Wilson, Professional MBL Pitcher, 70 (1934-2005)

Mason Adams, Character Actor & Voice-Over Artist, 86 (1919-2005)

Kay Walsh, English Actress & Dancer, 93 (1911-2005)

Percy Heath, Bassist of Modern Jazz Quartet, 81 (1923-2005)

2019 Memorials:

Ann Hillary Knott, Actress of Stage & Television, 93 (1926-2019)

Vonda McIntyre, Award-Winning Science-Fiction Author, 70 (1948-2019)

Kim English, Iconic House Music Songstress, 48 (1970/71-2019)

Julian Richard, Record-Breaking British Balloonist, 74

Jacob Stein, Washington Lawyer Involved in Watergate & Monica Lewinsky Cases, 94 (1925-2019)

Dan Robbins, Small-Town Artist who Created Paint-By-Numbers Sensation, 93

Patrick Vecchio, Supervisor of Smithtown for 40 Years, 88 (1930-2019)

Nadja Regin, Actress Best Known for Starring in Two James Bond Films, 87 (1931-2019)

Seymour Cassel, Character Actor & Favorite of John Cassavetes, 84 (1935-2019)

Ernest 'Fritz' Hollings, Longtime Senator from South Carolina, 97 (1922-2019)

Arie Irawan, Professional Malaysian Golfer, 28 (1990-2019)

Michael Busch, Longest-Serving Speaker of Maryland's House, 72 (1947-2019)

Cho Yang-ho, Embattled Chairman of Korean Air, 70 (1949-2019)

Alexa Valiente, Emmy Award-Winning Producer for ABC News, 27 (1991-2019)

Marilynn Smith, LPGA Founder & Member of World Golf Hall of Fame, 89 (1929-2019)

Earl Thomas Conley, Country Music Legend who Sang 'Holding Her & Loving You', 77 (1941-2019)

Richard Cole, Last Surviving Member of World War II's Heroic Doolittle Raiders, 103 (1915-2019)

Sydney Brenner, Scientist who Helped Decipher Genetic Code, 92 (1927-2019)

Romus Valton Burgin, U.S. Marine whose Book Helped to Inspire HBO's 'The Pacific', 96 (1922-2019)

Scott Sanderson, Former MLB Pitcher, 62 (1956-2019)

Walter White, Former Tight End for the Kansas City Chiefs, 67 (1951-2019)

Forrest Gregg, NFL Hall of Fame Lineman for Green Bay Packers, 85 (1933-2019)

Derrick Nelson, High School Principal who Died After Donating Bone Marrow, 44 (1975-2019)

Bibi Andersson, Swedish Actress who Starred in 13 Ingmar Bergman Films, 83 (1935-2019)

Ian Cognito, British Stand-Up Comedian, 60 (1958-2019)

Owen Garriott, Skylab & Space Shuttle Astronaut, 88 (1930-2019)

David Thouless, Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist, 84 (1934-2019)

Charles Gross, Husband of Author Joyce Carol Oates, 83

David Brion Davis, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian who Reshaped Study of Slavery, 92 (1927-2019)

John MacLeod, Longtime NBA Coach who Lead Phoenix Suns to 1976 Finals, 81 (1937-2019)

Georgia Engel, Actress Best Known as Georgette in 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 70 (1948-2019)

Joe Terry, Lead Singer & Co-Founder of 1950s Danny & the Juniors Doo-Wop Group, 78 (1941-2019)

Kazuhiko Kato, Japanese Manga Artist Professionally Known as Monkey Punch, 81 (1937-2019)

Dave Treadway, Professional Skier, 34

Bradley Welsh, Actor Best Known for 2017's 'T2 Trainspotting', 42

Mya-Lecia Naylor, British Actress & Model, 16 (2002-2019)

Lyra McKee, Northern Irish Journalist, 29 (1990-2019)

Lorraine Warren, Paranormal Investigator who Inspired 'Amityville Horror' & 'Conjuring' Films, 92 (1927-2019)

Reggie Cobb, Former NFL Running Back for Buccaneers, Packers, Jaguars & Jets, 50 (1968-2019)

David Hamburg, Stanford University Psychiatrist who Strove to End Global Violence, 93 (1925-2019)

Steve Feica, Longtime Connecticut AP Broadcast Editor, 72

Brenda Jackson, Mother of NASCAR Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., 65

Henry Bloch, Co-Founder of Tax Preparation Giant H&R Block, 96 (1922-2019)

Warren Alder, Author whose Novel 'The War of the Roses' Inspired 1989 Hit Film, 91 (1927-2019)

Ken Kercheval, Actor Best Known as Cliff Barnes in 'Dallas' TV Series, 83 (1935-2019)

Billy McNeill, Celtic Legend & Libson Lions Captain, 79 (1940-2019)

John Havlicek, Boston Celtics Hall of Famer, 79 (1940-2019)

Fay McKenzie, Actress whose Career Spanned 100 Years, 101 (1918-2019)

Manuel Lujan, Former U.S. Congressman & Interior Secretary, 90 (1928-2019)

Larry 'Flash' Jenkins, Actor Best Known for 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' & 'Fletch', 63 (1955-2019)

Richard Lugar, Former Indiana Senator & Foreign Policy Leader, 87 (1932-2019)

Damon J. Keith, Federal Judge & Civil Rights Icon, 96 (1922-2019)

John Singleton, Director Best Known for Groundbreaking 1991 Urban Drama 'Boyz n the Hood', 51 (1968-2019)

Gino Marchetti, Hall of Fame Defensive End for Baltimore Colts, 93 (1926-2019)

Ellen Tauscher, Former Congresswoman of California, 67 (1951-2019)

Rowland Charles Gould, Founding Member of 1980s Pop Group Level 42, 64 (1955-2019)

Russ Gibb, Rock Promoter, DJ, High School Teacher & Pop Culture Provocateur, 87 (1931-2019)

Peter Mayhew, Actor Best Known as Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' Film Franchise, 74 (1944-2019)

Red Kelly, Hockey Hall of Famer, 91 (1927-2019)

Rachel Held Evans, Popular Christian Writer, 37 (1981-2019)

Thomas Hynes, Illinois Politician, 80 (1938-2019)

Joe Healey, Famed New York Saloon Owner, 77 (1941-2019)

Nickolas James, Long Island Doctor who was a Medic in Vietnam, 71

Rafael Hernandez, Former Governor of Puerto Rico, 82 (1936-2019)

John Starling, Grammy Award-Winning Bluegrass Singer-Songwriter, 79 (1940-2019)

Barbara Perry, Broadway Veteran & 'Dick Can Dyke Show' Actress, 97 (1921-2019)

Norma Miller, Lindy Hop Dancer Known as the 'Queen of Swing', 99 (1919-2019)

Beth Carvalho, Brazil's 'Godmother of Samba', 72 (1946-2019)

Kendrick Castillo, Heroic Colorado Student who Braved Gunman in May 2019 School Shooting, 18

Troy Dean Shafer, Star of 'Nashville Flipped' Reality Series, 38

Jim Fowler, Longtime Host of 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' Program, 87 (1932-2019)

Jean Vanier, Founder of L'Arche, 90 (1928-2019)

Chris McNair, Father of 1963 Birmingham Bombing Victim Denise McNair, 93

Cesar Barron, Wrestler Known as Silver King & 'Nacho Libre' Star, 51 (1968-2019)

Alvin Sargent, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter of 'Julia' & 'Ordinary People', 92 (1927-2019)

Pua Magasiva, Actor Best Known for Starring in Several 'Power Rangers' Series, 38

Peggy Lipton, Actress Best Known for 'Twin Peaks' & 'The Mod Squad', 72 (1946-2019)

Lew Fidler, City Councilman who Helped Protect Runaways, 62

John Lukacs, Maverick Historian, 95 (1924-2019)

Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, Lebanon Christian Leader, 98 1920-2019)

Andy Jick, Longtime Announcer for the NBA's Boston Celtics, 66 (1952-2019)

Jenna Welch, Mother of Former First Lady Laura Bush, 99 (1919-2019)

Gunther Cunningham, Longtime Coach for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, 72 (1946-2019)

Elsa Patton, Star of Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Miami' Reality Series, 84

Unita Blackwell, Civil Rights Activist & Advisor to Seven Presidents, 86 (1933-2019)

Sammy Shore, Actor & Stand-Up Comedian who Co-Founded the Comedy Store, 92

Tim Conway, Legendary Comedian & Star of 'The Carol Burnette Show', 85 (1933-2019)

Doris Day, Singer, Actress & Animal Welfare Activist, 97 (1922-2019)

Charles Barksdale, Bass Singer for 1950s Doo-Wop Group the Dells, 84 (1935-2019)

I.M. Pei, World-Renowned Architect, 102 (1917-2019)

Ashley Massaro, Former WWE Superstar who Appeared on 'Survivor: China', 39 (1979-2019)

Herman Wouk, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of 'The Canine Mutiny', 103 (1915-2019)

Austin Eubanks, Survivor of Columbine High School Shooting, 37 (1981-2019)

Eric Talmadge, North Korea's Bureau Chief for the Associated Press, 57

Niki Lauda, Three-Time Formula One Champion & Aviation Entrepreneur, 70 (1949-2019)

Leonard Bailey, Transplant Doctor who Gave 'Baby Fae' a Baboon Heart, 76 (1942-2019)

Evelyn Foster, Manager & Mother of Actress Jodie Foster, 90

Jim Burch, Longtime College Basketball Official, 91

Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan Author & Gay Rights Activist, 48 (1971-2019)

Jake Black, Co-Writer of Opening Theme to HBO's 'Sopranos' Program (age not provided)

Judith Kerr, Nazi Germany Refugee & Beloved Children's Author, 95 (1923-2019)

Don Cash, American Mountaineer who Died on Mount Everest, 55

Don Warren, Founding Director of Drum Corps International, 91

Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist, 89 (1929-2019)

Rod Bramblett, Longtime Announcer for Auburn Football/Basketball Games, 53

Paula Bramblett, Wife of Auburn Announcer Rod Bramblett (age not provided)

Edmund Morris, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Famous for Writing Presidential Biographies, 78 (1940-2019)

John Pinto, Longtime New Mexico Lawmaker & Navajo Code Talker in World War II, 94

Bill Buckner, Former MLB Player, 69 (1949-2019)

Bart Starr, Legendary Quarterback for NFL's Green Bay Packers, 85 (1934-2019)

Maureen Beebe Hursh, Equestrian Enthusiast who Inspired Children's Book 'Misty of Chincoteague', 81 (1937-2019)

Carmine Caridi, Actor Best Known for 'The Godfather', 85 (1934-2019)

Thad Cochran, Longtime U.S. Senator from Mississippi, 81 (1937-2019)

Joe Russo, Baseball Coach for St. John's University, 74

Robert L. Bernstein, Publishing Executive & Human Rights Activist, 96 (1923-2019)

John Gary Williams, Lead Singer for R&B Vocal Group the Mad Lads, 73

Leon Redbone, Popular Singer-Guitarist Known for his Tin Pan Alley-Style, (1949-2019)

Tony Horwitz, Bestselling Author & Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, 60 (1958-2019)

Roky Erickson, Pioneering Psychedelic Rocker, 71 (1947-2019)

Leah Chase, Civil Rights Activist & Legendary 'Queen of Creole Cuisine' Chef, 96 (1923-2019)

Philip Reine, Educator & World War II Veteran, 92

Levi Oakes, Last of the Surviving Mohawk Code Talkers from World War II, 94

Roger Hirson, Tony-Nominated Novelist of 'Pippin', 93 (1926-2019)

Jose Antonio Reyes, Spanish Professional Footballer, 35 (1983-2019)

Ellen Bree Burns, Pioneering Federal Judge, 95 (1923-2019)

Paul Darrow, Actor Best Known for 'Blake's 7' & 'Doctor Who' TV Series, 78 (1941-2019)

Maryetta Dussourd, Leading Figure in Fight Against Clergy Abuse, 74

Patricia Bath, Pioneering UCLA Ophthalmologist & Inventor, 76 (1942-2019)

Linda Collins-Smith, Former Lawmaker from Arkansas, 56 (1962-2019)

Billy Gabor, Former Syracuse & NBA Player, 97 (1922-2019)

Dennis Day, Original Mouseketeer in 'The Mickey Mouse Club', 75 or 76

Lennart Johansson, Leader in European Soccer, 89 (1929-2019)

Maida Heatter, Prolific Cookbook Author Dubbed 'The Queen of Cake', 102 (1916-2019)

Dr. John, New Orleans Music Legend, 77 (1942-2019)

Edward Monter Seay, Maryland Rapper who Went By Name of Tre Da Kid, 32

Mike Sheehan, NYPD Detective who Investigated Central Park Five Jogger Rape Case, 71

Abdul Baset al-Sarout, Syrian Soccer Goalie who Became Rebel Icon, 27 (1992-2019)

Henry T. Lynch, Legendary Researcher Known as 'Father of Cancer Genetics', 91 (1928-2019)

Walt Gary, Alabama Superfan Beloved by University Team, 36

Laura Mansi, Civic Organizer who Fought Controversial Projects, 75

Frank Lucchesi, Former MLB Manager for Philadelphia Phillies & Texas Rangers, 92 (1927-2019)

Girish Karnad, Indian Actor, Playwright & Activist, 81 (1938-2019)

John Gunther Dean, Former Ambassador to America & Diplomat, 93 (1926-2019)

Richard Stephen Shaw, Rapper who Went by Stage Name Bushwick Bill, 52 (1966-2019)

Bill Van Haintze, Crime Reporter for Newsday, 94

Jim McMullan, Actor Best Known for Starring in 'Ben Casey' & 'Dallas', 82 (1936-2019)

Joe Overstreet, Painter & Activist was Leader in Black Arts Movement, 85 (1933-2019)

Gabriele Grunewald, Inspirational Elite Runner who Battled Cancer, 32 (1986-2019)

Peggy Stewart, Leading Lady in Westerns at Republic Pictures, 95 (1923-2019)

Lew Klein, Executive Producer of 'American Bandstand', 91

Pat Bowlen, Owner of the NFL's Denver Broncos, 75 (1944-2019)

Edith Gonzales, Mexican Telenovela Star, 54 (1964-2019)

Sylvia Miles, Actress Best Known for her Roles in 'Midnight Cowboy' & 'Farewell, My Lovely', 94 (1924-2019)

Franco Zeffirelli, Director of 'Romeo & Juliet' & 'Jesus of Nazareth', 96 (1923-2019)

Dale Greig, Scottish Long-Distance Runner, 81 (1937-2019)

Gloria Vanderbilt, Iconic Fashion Designer, 95 (1924-2019)

Philippe Zdar, Grammy Award-Winning Music Producer & One-Half of Cassius Duo, 52 (1967-2019)

Adrian McCallum, ICW World Heavyweight British Pro Wrestling Champion, 36

Alan Brinkley, Leading Historian of 20th Century America, 70 (1949-2019)

Giuseppina Robucci, Hailed as Oldest Person in Europe, 116 (1903-2019)

Molly O'Neill, Accomplished Chef & Award-Winning Food Writer/Journalist, 66 (1952-2019)

Murray Polner, Author, Pacifist & Veteran of Korean & Vietnam Wars, 91

Gary Burrell, Co-Founder of Global Positioning System (GPS) Navigation Company, 81 (1937-2019)

Jim Pike, Co-Founder & Lead Singer of Vocal Pop Group the Lettermen, 82

Judith Krantz, Bestselling Romance Novelist, 91 (1928-2019)

Stephanie Niznik, Actress Best Known for TV Drama Series 'Everwood', 52 (1967-2019)

Robert Friend, One of the Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen, 99

Dave Bartholomew, Rock & Roll Pioneer who Often Collaborated with Fats Domino, 100 (1918-2019)

Desmond Etika Amofah, Popular YouTube & Online Gamer Personality, 29

Jeff Austin, Co-Founder of Yonder Mountain String Band, 45 (1974-2019)

Steve Dunleavy, Journalist for New York & 'A Current Affair', 81 (1938-2019)

Jan Meyers, First Republican Woman to Represent Kansas in the House, 90 (1928-2019)

Beth Chapman, Wife of Dog the Bounty Hunter' Star Duane Chapman, 51 (1967-2019)

Max Wright, Actor Best Known as Willie Tanner on NBC Sitcom 'ALF', 75 (1943-2019)

Billy Drago, Actor Best Known as Al Capone Henchman in 1987's 'The Untouchables', 73 (1945-2019)

Russ Ewing, TV News Reporter who Convinced More Than 100 Suspects to Surrender, 95

George Rosenkranz, Developer of the Birth Control Pill, 102 (1916-2019)

Lonn Taylor, Smithsonian Historian & Authority on 'The Star-Spangled Banner', 79 (1940-2019)

Jerry Carrigan, Prolific Studio Drummer who Played with Elvis Presley & Others, 75 (1943-2019)

Anthony Estrema, Decorated Marines Sergeant, 90

William F. Brown, Tony-Nominated Playwright of 'The Wiz', 91 (1928-2019)

Brenda Maddox, Biographer of James Joyce's Wife & Other Overlooked Figures, 87 (1932-2019)

Justin Raimondo, Activist of Anti-War & Gay Rights, 67 (1951-2019)

Gene Pingatone, Legendary High School Basketball Coach, 83

Momir Bulatovic, Former President of Montenegro, 62 (1956-2019)

Joyce Pensato, Artist who Reimagined Iconic Cartoon Characters, 77 (1941-2019)

Manuel Real, Federal Judge in Los Angeles for Half a Century, 95 (1924-2019)

Luis Alvarez, Former NYPD Detective & Fighter for 9/11 Compensation Funds, 53

Gary Duncan, Singer & Guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service Band, 72 (1946-2019)

Jeon Mi-seon, Renowned South Korean Actress, 48 (1970-2019)

Carlin Dunne, Record-Breaking Motorcycle Racer, 36

Florijana Ismaili, Swiss Soccer Player, 24


End file.
